“Apparently he’s the biggest leader since Lord Nelson”

Jan Age Fjortoft has slammed Arsenal star Declan Rice after the Gunners’ 2-1 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday (April 11). The defeat marks a big blow to their title-winning hopes, with second-placed Manchester City having a fair chance to catch up.

Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a big loss last night as Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi (17′) and Alex Scott (74′) scored to secure three points for the visitors. Viktor Gyokeres scored from the penalty spot (35′), but the Gunners failed to equalize or win in the second half. Following the loss, the North London side is still nine points clear at the top of the league table.

Speaking on ESPN, former Premier League star Jan Age Fjortoft criticized Arsenal star Declan Rice for his recent performance dip. He said (via Metro UK):

“I want to mention another name: Declan Rice. I see he gets the captain’s armband and I talk to English pundits and apparently he’s the biggest leader since Lord Nelson. He was the captain today but I didn’t see that, I didn’t see him doing that. I’m not saying this because he’s Norwegian but I think they miss an in-form Martin Odegaard.”

He continued:

“Unfortunately he’s having some problems with injuries this season but they’re desperate to get him back because at the moment Declan Rice, the big hope for English football, isn’t producing either.”

If Manchester City win their two games in hand and beat Arsenal at the Etihad on April 19, they will be tied on points with the Gunners. Even if both teams win all their remaining games, the title will be decided according to goal difference. The race is far from over, as Mikel Arteta’s side fears losing the Premier League title for the fourth consecutive time.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta admits 2-1 loss to Bournemouth is a “big punch in the face”

In the post-match press conference after the loss to Bournemouth, Mikel Arteta described the setback as a big punch in the face. He said (via Arsenal’s official website):

“It’s extremely disappointing; it’s a big punch in the face, but what I said to the boys, now it’s about how we react to that, because it’s game on, it’s going to require now a big spirit, a lot of fight and very clear how we’re going to approach that.”

“There are no grey areas; we are in, we are out, and we need to be very, very, very strong and determined to approach it in a different way than we’ve done today, especially when the game wasn’t going our way.”

The blow in the Premier League comes after the Gunners lost two major titles this season. They suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and a 2-1 loss to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final. They only have the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League at hand and will do their best to secure both to avoid another trophyless season.