Arsenal missed their game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with manager Oliver Glasner recognizing the quality of Declan Rice in particular as he continues to secure a club-record contract.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has claimed that the signing of Declan Rice has taken Arsenal to the “next level” with continued investment, making them an incredibly tough team to face.
His Eagles side narrowly lost at the Emirates, with the club’s former favorite Eberechi Eze, who moved to the Gunners in the summer, scoring the winning goal. It was Mikel Arteta’s side’s fourth win on the bounce.
In recent years, the Spaniard has been able to transform the north Londoners into one of Europe’s elite groups, thanks to shrewd recruitment. Arsenal signed Rice from West Ham after winning their first title a few years ago.
They acquired the England international midfielder in a club record deal worth over £100m and Rice proved to be a huge success. Glasner, who is now considered one of the best players at his position worldwide, insists he has been a game-changer with so much going on for his team.
He said: “They are playing at the top level in the world and this is what they are showing: consistency, constantly analyzing what kind of players to add to the team to take it to the next level.”
read more: Eberechi Eze sent a clear message to Crystal Palace fans after scoring Arsenal’s winning goalread more: Former Arsenal star offers different views on Bukayo Saka’s substitute match vs Crystal Palace
“And it wasn’t just this summer, it was over the years. They saw Declan Rice a couple of years ago and bought him from West Ham for £120m… They always knew exactly what kind of players they needed to take the next step and integrated them into the structure of the team.”
“Defensively they are compact, they always rely on set-piece structures and they have great balance in their game. So I think about all this, developing over the years and doing a lot of things right…if we do that we can challenge for the Premier League title.”
Arsenal lost to Liverpool and Manchester City at the weekend, leaving them seven points behind the Reds and six points behind Josep Guardiola’s side. Arteta has taken control of the title race with four wins on the bounce.
Since Rice’s arrival, Emirates bosses have continued to invest in the team, making Arsenal the favorites to continue their 21-year wait for Premier League success. Eze, the winner of the match, was one of the summer signings, along with Victor Gokeres, Martin Zvimendi and Noni Madues.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
