While most of the Arsenal squad were glued to screens at London Colney, witnessing the final moments of the title race, Declan Rice adopted a unique coping mechanism. The midfielder disclosed that the tension during Manchester City’s crucial match against Bournemouth became so overwhelming that he chose to walk the training pitches extensively to maintain his composure.

“I grabbed Pete, the security guard, and for the first 40 minutes, we just walked around every pitch possible. We were just talking about anything and everything,” Rice recounted. “Then we heard the roar, so we came back for the first goal. I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ On my way back, I promised myself I’d tell everyone to stay put. We returned with five minutes left, it was done, but I still couldn’t bring myself to watch.”

His teammate Bukayo Saka found the scene