“Declan Rice and Arsenal: A perfect combination for failure.”

Declan Rice and Arsenal: the perfect combination for a series of failures in modern football

In the unforgiving world of English football, few names symbolize the pain of repeated defeat as well as Declan Rice. With a record that resembles a manual of “almost,” the English midfielder perfectly fits the tragic narrative that has been Arsenal’s season. The stage is set: after practically handing the Premier League to Manchester City on a silver platter, the Gunners now face the tough task of defeating Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League – so that Rice can add an impressive third runner-up medal to his collection this year alone. A total of seven second-place medals and only one victory, achieved during his time at West Ham, make him a true legend of the “almost.”

The comparison is harsh: Declan Rice is, for the 2020s, the Arsène Wenger of failure, an “expert in shortcomings.” Among three Premier League runner-up finishes, two lost Euro finals, one Champions League final defeat, and a setback in the League Cup, Rice has become the ultimate symbol of the frustration that plagues the Gunners.

What can be said about Arsenal then? A club that, despite its million-pound investment, seems doomed to stumble at decisive heights. What for many is merely a defeat, for others is a genuine “bottling” – the horror of losing when the pressure is at its peak. Not just any defeat, but one in which the club leads the race and lets everything slip away at the most crucial moments, as if the weight of the past bears down on their shoulders.

Expert Ben Teacher does not hesitate to point the finger: Arsenal’s saga is marked by “cheating,” controversies, and a manager, Mikel Arteta, who for many is “a complete idiot” – a leader who fails to inspire respect, unlike figures such as Pep Guardiola. While Arteta grapples with criticism and the team repeatedly falters, Manchester City maintains a steely mentality, despite the numerous financial scandals surrounding them.

Had José Mourinho already cast the curse by dubbing Arsenal the “specialists in failure”? The weight of defeats is becoming unbearable for fans, in a club that spends millions yet seems incapable of winning significant titles beyond a few FA Cups. Arsenal is giving a true lesson in “how to fail” to historic teams like Don Revie’s Leeds, who never had the brilliance of the “greats” but became known for their resilience.

However, not everything is black and white. In the last game, the Gunners showed quality and were even unlucky to lose in a moment almost at the end, with Kai Havertz missing a decisive header. For some, that is not “bottling,” but rather football: the mistake that happens even to the best.

Irony and sarcasm also dominate the analyses from rival fans. Liverpool, for example, has experienced a bitter season, despite investing nearly half a billion to transform a champion into a team that can barely secure a spot in the Champions League. The unfortunate decisions by the management and the presumption of success have become the subject of public mockery.

Amid this competitive chaos, two major questions arise about Arsenal: first, how does Atlético de Madrid, the next opponent in the Champions League, view its role as the “third force” behind the Spanish and English giants? And second, how many Arsenal players would make it into the ideal eleven of Manchester City? The answer is clear: few. Among young talents like Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland, and veterans like Donnarumma, Rodri, or Guehi, the Gunners fall short of Guardiola’s impressive squad.

There is still room for a playful critique of Cole Palmer‘s appearance, a small digression that reflects the relaxed tone with which fans approach the rivalry.

For Tottenham fans, the message is clear and provocative: have you heard of “St Totteringham’s Day”? The day when it becomes mathematically impossible to surpass Arsenal in the table? Well, get ready to celebrate “St Bottlingham’s Day,” the day when Arsenal will lose any chance of winning the title. The provocation has been thrown down.

At its core, this is a portrait of an era where the Gunners seem destined to fail spectacularly, buoyed by the aura of Declan Rice, the master of second places. A story of near glory that keeps fans on an emotional rollercoaster, swinging between hope and the bitter reality that, at this moment, Arsenal is indeed a specialist in not winning.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.