Arsenal’s Declan Rice urges focus as title lead narrows

• Arsenal held 1-1 by Brentford, reducing lead over Manchester City to four points
• Rice stresses importance of focusing on controllable factors amid title race pressure
• Gunners extend record to just two wins in six matches against Brentford

Declan Rice has called on Arsenal to “block out the outside noise” following a 1-1 draw at Brentford that prevented the Gunners from moving six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal had taken the lead through Noni Madueke’s 61st-minute header, only for Keane Lewis-Potter to equalise ten minutes later, leaving the gap to second-placed Manchester City at four points. The result represents a significant swing in the title race after City’s victories over Liverpool and Fulham.

Rice stressed the need for focus and composure as Arsenal continue their pursuit of a first league title since 2004. “In this journey you are never going to be at the level for 70 games of the season but you have to be at the best you can. The small details, the basics. This is a rollercoaster of a season. You can’t be naïve to think this is going to be easy,” he said.

The midfielder added: “We are playing against the best teams week in, week out. We have to keep pushing and believing in ourselves, controlling the controllable. We have to block out the outside noise. We have done that really well. People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal but we have a really calm group. I’m not naïve to think Brentford are a pushover. They are one of the best teams in the league and their recent form shows that. It’s a point gained in our journey but we wanted to win the game.”

The draw leaves Arsenal with a record of just two wins from six meetings with Brentford this season, highlighting the challenge of maintaining consistency as they aim to end three consecutive seasons as runners-up.