While most Arsenal players were glued to screens at London Colney, eagerly tracking the final moments of the title race, Declan Rice adopted an entirely different approach. The midfielder disclosed that the tension during the critical Manchester City versus Bournemouth match became so overwhelming, he chose to walk the training grounds to maintain his composure.

“I grabbed Pete, the security guard, and for the first 40 minutes, we just walked every single pitch. We talked about anything and everything,” Rice recounted. “Then we heard the roar, so we came back for the first goal. I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ On the way back, I told myself to tell everyone to stay put. We returned with five minutes left; it was over, but I still couldn’t bring myself to watch.”

His teammate Bukayo Saka found the scene