The Gunners thrashed Manchester City 5-1 on Sunday (02.02.25) to close the gap on the Reds to six points at the top of the table and Rice is confident that the team will be able to chase down the league leaders even though they have played a match more.

The midfielder told Sky Sports: "Liverpool are still quite far in front, especially with the game in hand, and with them winning yesterday you know going into the game that you have to win.

"It's more disappointing the games like Aston Villa, when we were 2-0 up and dropped points, because we could be up there closer to Liverpool.

"But we will be there, and we will keep pushing. We do need others to help us, but we know what the goal is and that's to hunt them down and win the Premier League.

"We need to stay positive, and I'm sure we will be fine."

Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta told his players to "focus on us" after they aimed pointed celebrations at City striker Erling Haaland following the fiery reverse fixture that ended in a 2-2 draw between the two teams last September.

Quizzed about the celebrations, the coach said: "I don't know, I haven't seen that, and there's nothing that I want to discuss about that, down to the players, but they know my view on it, and we have to focus on us.

"We have to focus on us and to leaving anything that happened there, just part of the game on the pitch and the feeling, whatever happens there. I think I've been in football a long time. Just leave it, there is nothing there to do."