Mikel Arteta was full of pride after Arsenal's hard-fought 2-1 Premier League win over Brighton , a result that sent the Gunners back to the top of the table. As reported by SoftFootball , the victory was shaped by adaptability and character, with Declan Rice stepping into an unfamiliar right-back role at short notice during the injury-hit encounter.
With Jurrien Timber sidelined and Riccardo Calafiori withdrawing during the warm-up, Arteta was forced into a late reshuffle. Rice answered the call immediately, producing a composed and disciplined display.
Explaining his thinking and the emotion behind his praise, Arteta pointed to the team's mentality before delivering his verdict in full in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account .
