Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has called upon Declan Rice to drop his ‘nice guy’ persona and show his teeth with his team-mates when called upon as the Gunners attempt to wrest back control of their Premier League fortunes.
Mikel Arteta’s side were unpinned at home late on in their clash with Manchester United, with Michael Carrick’s players running out the 3-2 winners at the Emirates.
The defeat comes against the backdrop of a troubling run of form in the league that has seen the title-chasers go winless in January, and stopped the team in their tracks just four points clear at the top of the table.
The side’s talismanic midfielder Rice has been just one of the players dissatisfied with recent league performances, caught on camera saying that something was ‘f***ing s***, every f***ing time’ after drawing with Nottingham Forest.
And now Petit has urged the England international to harness that spirit with greater intensity, willing Arsenal’s leadership group to be ‘nasty’ as well as commanding.
‘For me, I’m expecting more from him,’ the former France international told talkSPORT. ‘The likes of (William) Saliba, Gabriel as well. Those guys have been amazing for two or three seasons now.
Emmanuel Petit has called upon Declan Rice to turn from nice guy to nasty in pursuit of the Premier League title
The Frenchman brought to mind players of his era with the right mentality like Tony Adams (pictured centre)
‘They are leaders on the pitch, but I want them to be nasty. I don’t want him to be “Mr. Nice Guy” anymore.
‘Declan Rice is such a decent guy, such a sweet guy on and off the pitch.
‘If you are listening Declan, I want you to be nasty on the pitch. I want you to bully the opponents. I want you to be nasty with your teammates as well.
‘I want those guys to show they are thinking about being champions and I want them to act like champions’.
Petit won the Premier League with Arsenal in 1997-98 alongside a cast of characters both in his team and featuring for his rivals who were legendarily formidable.
‘It’s missing something in your character and personality on the pitch,’ he continued. ‘I want him to be like Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams.
‘I want the opponent to fear you on the pitch every time you have to fight for the ball.’
Team-mate Viera was another to cast doubt on Arsenal’s mentality after defeat to Man United, with the Frenchman going as far as to name two players who needed to show more in the loss.
‘They’re still four points clear, but there’s still questions about the mental strength of the team,’ the Frenchman said. ‘It’s not just that they lost the game, it’s the way they lost the game. Saka and Trossard didn’t produce enough to worry United.
‘They need a leader to lift the spirit of the team. They need to understand when they are on the pitch they have to play with more energy and more risks. They have the quality.
‘They need a leader to lift the spirit of the team. They need to understand when they are on the pitch they have to play with more energy and more risks. They have the quality. They didn’t play with the freedom to express themselves.’
Outside of the Premier League, Arsenal have continued in flying form, most recently beating Inter Milan 3-1 in the Champions League, and edging Chelsea 3-2 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
After their final league phase match in Europe, Arsenal will look to get back to winning ways against promoted side Leeds United on Saturday.
