The win over Burnley was Arsenal’s ninth successive victory in all competitions, with Arteta’s side having also downed Newcastle, West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace in the league. During the same run, the north Londoners have also defeated Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, as well as Port Vale and Brighton in the Carabao Cup.
Highlighting the impressive home form which was the catalyst behind Burnley’s promotion from the Championship last season, Rice was pleased Arsenal were able to emerge from a “tough” Turf Moor with yet another win.
“They’ve maybe lost once in like 18 months,” said Rice. “We knew it was going to be tough, so we had to stick to our principles. Our quality shone through and we could have scored four or five in the first half.
“It’s important we keep scoring goals. Two goals are perfect for us. If you look at the goal as a whole, we’re defending a long throw from our own half. Big Gabby [Magalhaes] wins the ball and I keep running with the ball. I was like a traditional number nine!”