'Definitely': Declan Rice says £65m Arsenal star actually gets 'unfairly scapegoated' after win vs Tottenham

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As one of the leaders in Arsenal’s dressing room, Declan Rice would have been over the moon to witness his side return to winning ways with a dominant 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur.

Rice claimed Tottenham are an “open team” and as a result, Mikel Arteta’s side were aware of how they could pounce on their weakness by winning the “ball high.”

Antonin Kinsky struggled in possession against Arsenal as the hosts’ ploy seemed to put as much pressure on the Premier League debutant as possible — with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling hounding the Spurs goalkeeper when he had the ball at his feet.

Mikel Arteta would be delighted that the Gunners capitalised on Liverpool slipping up in the title race after they dropped two crucial points against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

While the Reds have a four-point advantage over Arteta’s side with a game in hand, the latest round of results were a reminder that it would be premature to suggest that Arne Slot has one hand on the coveted trophy.

After the contest, Declan Rice had plenty to say.

Declan Rice says Kai Havertz gets “unfairly scapegoated” after Arsenal vs Tottenham

Rice lauded Gabriel Magalahes’ display after Tottenham, with the Brazilian defender winning his third consecutive Man of the Match award in a North London Derby.

Rice compared Myles Lewis-Skelly to Moussa Dembele due to displaying a similar degree of strength in holding off his man in what was a coming-of-age display from the 18-year-old against Spurs.

The England international was frankly asked whether Havertz receives unjust criticism after Arsenal beat Tottenham.

“Do you think Kai [Havertz] gets unfairly scapegoated at times?”

Rice emphasised supporters at the Emirates Stadium remain huge admirers of the £65 million (Sky Sports) man, contrary to how much stick that comes his way on social media.

“Yeah, definitely. But I think there’s a social media perception that people think and then when you actually come to the stadium and actually hear the real fans think and what they think, two different things.”

Rice went on to emphasise that Havertz is a loved figure by the Emirates faithful while stressing his key role as a battering ram up front.

“The cheer he got tonight, it was ridiculous. It was the loudest name of the night when his name got called out.”

“You could tell it meant a lot to him and the way he just fights and scraps for 90 minutes and does it week in, week out, alright yeah, he might not score every week but what he does for the team is the most important, he’s been brilliant.”

Arsenal told to replace Kai Havertz way before Arsenal vs Tottenham

Havertz has been deemed “awkward” on the pitch as he has received widespread criticism of every kind since joining Arsenal last season.

Arsenal were told to replace Havertz as well by Gabby Agbonlahor in November.

"I think [their title hopes] have gone, I really do.”

“They are too reliant on Saka. Martinelli will turn up one game out of five. Havertz doesn't look to me like he's that leader that you want up front.”

Agbonlahor added: “They miss a striker. Last season, I'm sure they only scored three or four goals less [sic, five] than Manchester City. So everyone was saying they don't need a striker, they spread their goals out; Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli, Havertz…”

"But, what would you do if you did have a striker? You might go and score 10 more goals than Manchester City!”

However, it is key for Havertz to ignore his critics and focus on the next game, starting with Arsenal’s clash against Aston Villa on Sunday.

With his teammates like Rice backing the under-fire forward, the Champions League winner should feel confident in himself that he has what it takes to be his side’s ideal number nine.