Declan Rice made a bold claim that Arsenal are on to “big things” this season, despite their 1-0 pre-season loss to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday afternoon.
The contest was decided after a spectacular long-range lob from Pape Matar Sarr on the verge of half-time, after robbing Myles Lewis-Skelly of the ball in on the halfway line.
The lead was well-deserved after Thomas Frank’s side hit the woodwork three times in the opening 45 minutes, looking particularly dangerous from corners.
Even new £55million signing Viktor Gyökeres struggled in his efforts to help the Gunners equalise, with the Swedish striker making minimal impact after his introduction with 13 minutes of normal time to go.
Viktor Gyökeres made his Arsenal debut, coming on in the 77th minute
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The win marks Tottenham’s first victory over the Gunners in over three years, and shows Frank laying down an early marker in his tenure after moving from Brentford last month.
After the game, Rice boldly claimed Arsenal were pushing for “big things” this season, despite the result.
He said: “It's been really, really special coming to Hong Kong. Thank you so much [to the fans] for your support. Even though we lost, we love you guys.
Declan Rice believes Arsenal are on to "big things" next year
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"It's been an incredible trip, we've really felt the love and that's pushed us on.
"We lost tonight but we have another game on Wednesday, it's still pre-season and we're going to push for big things this season."
Arsenal fans seemingly disagreed with the 26-year-old’s assessment of the game, taking to social media to voice their displeasure at the performance, despite the ‘friendly’ nature.
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“Slow on the ball. Too much back passes. Disappointing performance,” one fan wrote.
Another said: “Rubbish performance. But we move.”
A third added: “We’re already worse than last season.”
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“Saka not looking great this preseason. And the left hand side is a mess,” a fourth wrote.
Arsenal have spent big this summer, around £200million, and have raised the expectations around the club as a result.
Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga have all walked through the doors at the Emirates, and manager Mikel Arteta is not done yet.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who would also cost in excess of £60million.
The spending has put Arteta’s side back in contention, and the fans' expectations have risen in accordance.
But with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all spending big, as well as clubs such as Spurs and Manchester United looking vastly improved, the competition at the summit of the table next year is sure to be high.