The Etihad Stadium was a wall of noise at full-time on Sunday. Manchester City players were running around celebrating a massive 2-1 win. But the cameras found Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard in the middle of the pitch. Rice looked intense while he grabbed his captain.
Fans on social media started sharing clips of the moment immediately. Several lipreaders claim they caught exactly what the midfielder said during the post-match embrace. He apparently shouted three words to Ødegaard: “It’s not done.”
It was a defiant moment after a game that felt like a huge blow. Arsenal stayed top of the league but the lead is shrinking fast. Rice’s gesture was caught by Sky Sports cameras as he tried to lift his teammates. He didn’t look like a man who just lost his grip on the Premier League title.
The title race shifts at the Etihad
This match was always going to be the big one. City started fast and scored an early goal that set the tone for the afternoon. Arsenal fought back and got an equalizer but they couldn’t hold on. Erling Haaland did what he always does and bagged the winner later in the game.
The result means Arsenal’s lead is down to just three points. And the big problem is that City still have a game in hand. If Pep Guardiola’s side win that extra game they could go top on goal difference. It’s getting tight at the top of the table and nerves are showing.
According to Sportbible, the footage of Rice has gone viral because of how much it means to the fans. They see him as the leader this team needs when things get difficult. He’s the one rallying the troops even when the scoreboard looks bad. But the words haven’t been officially confirmed by any professional lipreading experts yet.
Arsenal hit the woodwork multiple times in the second half. It was one of those days where the ball just wouldn’t go in for them. And City are just too clinical when they get their chances. Now the pressure is back on Mikel Arteta to keep his young squad from dropping more points.
Arteta remains defiant in the dressing room
Mikel Arteta didn’t sound like a beaten man in his post-match press conference. He talked about how his players feel about the race now. He thinks they’re more convinced than ever that they can win the whole thing. He called the final stretch a “new league” with only five games left for the Gunners.
He was happy with the performance even if the result was a letdown. But the stats show a bit of a slump lately. Arsenal have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions. That’s not the kind of form you want when City are chasing you down. But Arteta says he doesn’t need to give them any extra motivation right now.
As reported by the Evening Standard, the manager believes the advantage is still with his team. They’re still in the lead after all. But everyone knows how City finish seasons. They rarely drop points once they get into this rhythm in April and May.
Rice has been a massive part of why Arsenal are even in this position. They paid £105m for him to win games like this. And even though they lost he’s showing why he was worth the money. His leadership is visible every time the camera pans to him. He’s always talking and always organizing the midfield.
What the table looks like now
The race is basically a coin flip at this point. Arsenal have more points on the board but City have the momentum. If City beat Burnley on Wednesday they’ll be breathing right down Arsenal’s neck. It could come down to who blinks first in the final week of the season.
| Position | Team | Points | Games Played | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 78 | 33 | Leader |
| 2 | Man City | 75 | 32 | Game in hand |
Arsenal face Newcastle and Fulham next. Those aren’t easy games by any means. Newcastle away is always a nightmare and Fulham are tough to break down. If they win both they can get that lead back up to six points before City play their next league game. But another slip would probably hand the title to Guardiola.
There’s a lot of talk about Arsenal’s composure. People remember how they fell apart last season. But Rice wasn’t there last year. He’s brought a different mentality to the group. His “It’s not done” comment—if that’s what he said—shows he’s not thinking about the past. He’s thinking about the next five games.
The role of leadership in the final weeks
Leadership isn’t just about playing well. It’s about what you do when the whistle blows and everyone is heads-down. Rice was the first one to go over to Ødegaard. He didn’t let him walk off the pitch feeling sorry for himself. That’s what the £105m was for, I guess. It was for moments where the team needs a spine.
The media is already framing Rice as the “morale anchor” for this title charge. You can see why. He doesn’t go missing when the lights are bright. Even in a loss he was one of the better players on the pitch. But individual performances won’t matter if they don’t get the trophies at the end.
A lot of fans on social media are using the “It’s not done” line as a rallying cry. It’s a good slogan for a title race. But they need to back it up on the grass next weekend. If they don’t beat Newcastle then it might actually be done. City don’t give you third chances in this league.
According to Inkl, analysts are worried about the physical toll on Arsenal. They’ve played a lot of minutes with a small group of players. City can rotate more because their squad is so deep. That might be the difference in the final two weeks of May. Arsenal need their big players like Rice and Saka to stay fit.
Anyway the next few days will be interesting. Everyone will be watching the Burnley game to see if City take the top spot. But regardless of that result Arsenal are still in the driving seat. They just need to stop hitting the woodwork and start putting the ball in the net. It’s going to be a wild finish to the season.
