Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is confident the Gunners will remain in the title race at the sharp end of the season, despite Liverpool’s commanding position with nearly two-thirds of the campaign completed.
Should Liverpool win their game in hand against Everton on Wednesday, they will extend their lead at the top to nine points.
However, Rice’s Arsenal have shown their quality, remaining unbeaten in the league since November and securing a 5-1 victory over Manchester City in their most recent outing.
Mikel Arteta’s side are also out of both domestic cup competitions, which could allow them to focus their energy entirely on the league.
While a return to Champions League action remains on the horizon, the results in the group stage allowed them to avoid an extra play-off round.
Arsenal were in the title hunt until the final day of last season, only for Manchester City to edge them out by two points.
With Man City currently fading from the title race, Declan Rice believes last season’s runners-up have a genuine chance of challenging for the crown come May.
“There’s still a really long way to go,” Rice told Sky Sports.
“The manager said in a press conference the other week, no matter what, the only thing we can worry about is ourselves.
“But at the end of the season, we will be there.
“We can only keep believing in what we believe in, work on what we’re working on and have full trust in the manager, players and everyone around us that we can achieve great things.
“It’s down to us to get that over the line. Big things are coming.
“We need to stay positive and keep going.”
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