Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice appeared in press statements after the draw against Manchester City 1-1 in the fifth round of the Premier League.

The player said: "We have earned the respect of our opponents; they know well the quality we possess from the front line to defense. We played with good passing and movements in the first half as well as in the second, but there was always a constant threat from counter-attacks. In the end, we deserved the goal, and we would have felt a great disappointment if we had lost."

About the talk in the locker room at halftime: "I felt some frustration in the stands because we had the ball a lot. We knew we needed to quicken the pace in the second half, and the message was clear: keep pressing and pushing forward."

He concluded about the importance of Martinelli to the team: "He is a huge player. Since I joined Arsenal, he has been providing great moments. Some players might feel frustrated when sitting on the bench, but he shows a lot of heart and desire. The run and then the final touch on his goal were amazing. He absolutely deserved it, and you won't find a nicer person than him. He came in and provided a truly magical moment."