Rice channels Arsenal's 'it's not done' motto as England enter World Cup knockout stage

Declan Rice is drawing on the same mindset that helped Arsenal end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title as England open their World Cup knockout campaign against DR Congo in Atlanta.

Rice’s now-famous “it’s not done” message — caught on camera after Arsenal’s defeat at Manchester City in April, when the title appeared to be slipping away — became a rallying cry for the Gunners’ run-in. He believes the same spirit of defiance will be essential for Thomas Tuchel’s side as they navigate a potential route through Mexico City and a quarter-final against Brazil.

“It could have gone either way! That would have lived with me forever!” Rice said with a smile, reflecting on the moment. “Luckily it went the way I wanted it to be perceived, even though it was crazy how that all came about.”

England topped their group but did so without convincing, and Rice was candid about the challenges ahead. “Looking at our next opponent, it’s going to be a really tough game,” he said. “And looking at the potential route of what could happen, it’s going to be really, really tough games to the final.”

With European heavyweights Germany and the Netherlands already eliminated, Rice acknowledged that the World Cup has a habit of producing shocks — and that England are not immune. “The best teams are left, the best players are left and the World Cup could throw up surprises, so for sure we have to be on our game, 100 per cent.”

He also addressed England’s struggles to break down well-organised opposition, pointing to Ghana and Panama as examples of sides that frustrated Tuchel’s men with disciplined low blocks. “It’s down to us to break down these low blocks and to be patient,” Rice said. “But I think the real key is if you can get an early goal in games against low blocks — that’s when you’ll see teams start to open up.”

On DR Congo, Rice offered a clear-eyed warning to anyone expecting a straightforward passage. “Teams are here to win. I understand the heat, I understand how teams have a way of playing against us, and anything to win, I suppose.”

For Rice, the lesson from Arsenal’s title run is simple: no lead is safe, no game is won before it is played, and the moment complacency creeps in is the moment things unravel.