‘They can’t believe they lost the league’, says Declan Rice as he lifts lid on Arsenal mood following summer transfer

ARSENAL stars cannot believe they failed to win the Premier League last season.

But Declan Rice – who joined from West Ham last summer – believes the Gunners have learned from their mistakes and are finally ready to end their 20-year wait for a league title.

The TimesArsenal spurned an eight-point lead as Manchester City won the Premier League title[/caption]

Declan Rice believes the Gunners are now stronger for what happened last seasonGetty

Mike Arteta‘s side were eight points clear with nine games to go 12 months ago, only to collapse in the final few months to hand Manchester City their third straight crown.

Rice, 25, said: “Last year Arsenal were the best team in the league, obviously they slipped up at the end and Manchester City always come on so strong.

“The word what they say now is that they can’t believe they lost the league from being eight points ahead.”

But the addition of £105million man Rice has helped Arsenal bounce back from the disappointment of missing out by mounting another serious challenge.

The North Londoners are currently embroiled in a thrilling three-horse title race alongside City and Liverpool with just two points separating the three teams.

And Rice reckons red-hot Arsenal, who have won their last six league games scoring 25 goals in the process, are in a much stronger position to get over the line this time around.

The England midfielder said: “This year everyone in the team, including the manager and the staff, has learned from their mistakes, we are stronger, we have more belief and if we go a goal down, we still have that confidence and mental strength that we can push on in games.

“The league is so strong this year, anything can happen and there are 12 games to go, but the main thing is that we are right in it.

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“At Christmas we had a wobble, we lost two games on the bounce, which was not good, but we have won big games at home recently, which have been important.

“Come the end of the season, we will see who wins it, but to play in it has been special, it has been an honour.

“To go head to head with the top teams every week with the pressure, it has been so good.

“Me and the lads are enjoying it, long may it continue and we will see what happens.”

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