Watch: Declan Rice reacts to West Ham relegation before Arsenal trophy lift

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Evening Standard

·25 de maio de 2026

Watch: Declan Rice reacts to West Ham relegation before Arsenal trophy lift

England midfielder still has an affinity for his former club, who went down after Tottenham win on final day

Declan Rice could not hide his frustration as the Arsenal midfielder learned of former club West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League on Sunday.

The Hammers will play Championship football next season for the first time since 2012 despite beating Leeds 3-0 at home on the final day of the campaign.

Vídeos OneFootball

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed that victory to be coupled with Everton winning at Tottenham in order to pull off a dramatic last-ditch escape from the drop, but Spurs ran out 1-0 victors in north London thanks to Joao Palhinha’s goal shortly before half-time.

It was a sorry end to a dreadful season for West Ham - whose 39 points were the most accumulated by any team relegated from the Premier League in the last 15 years - as their angry fans continued to express their fury at the club’s board.

It was a different scenario altogether for Arsenal, who were handed the title with a game to spare in midweek thanks to Manchester City’s slip-up at Bournemouth and lifted the trophy for the first time in 22 years on Sunday following a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.

Before those celebrations, an eagle-eyed fan at Selhurst Park captured on video what appeared to be the exact moment that Rice found out that West Ham had been relegated.

The England midfielder - who remained an unused substitute on Sunday as he got a much-needed rest from Mikel Arteta with the title already won and the Champions League final approaching - can be seen checking the results from elsewhere on the final day before turning away and slapping his hands together in frustration while shaking his head.

After spending seven years in Chelsea’s academy, Rice joined West Ham as a 14-year-old in 2013 and spent the next decade at the club, going on to make 245 total appearances across all competitions and scoring 15 goals after being handed his senior debut in 2017.

He captained the Hammers to Conference League glory in 2023 before Arsenal swooped for his services that summer in a blockbuster transfer worth £100million plus a further £5m in add-ons.

Rice has since gone on to become an instrumental figure under Arteta, appearing 157 times for the Gunners so far and playing a vital role in a season that could yet end with a famous Premier League and Champions League trophy double.

Despite his exit and frequent fan boos upon subsequent returns to the London Stadium, Rice has spoken in high regard about West Ham since leaving.

Speaking to Amazon Prime Video before Arsenal’s controversial 1-0 win away at West Ham earlier this month, a pivotal result in the title race, Rice said: “It's a club that gave me everything.

“Without West Ham, there's no me and I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn't and a lot of people there really did push me on.

“[David] Moyes, Slaven Bilic, [Manuel] Pellegrini made me captain. Loads of good things about that club. It's not nice to see the position they're in. But it's football and I have a job to do.”