Declan Rice has urged Arsenal to “block out the outside noise” but insisted his teammates remain calm after missing the opportunity to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Brentford.
Noni Madueke’s 61st-minute header gave the Gunners the lead at Gtech Community Stadium but Keane Lewis-Potter equalised 10 minutes later to ensure Arsenal are only four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
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It represents a significant swing in the title race as Arsenal were on course for a nine-point lead before City fought back to beat Liverpool at Anfield prior to a 3-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday.
Arsenal were unable to beat a spirited Brentford side enjoying a fine season under Keith Andrews, extending their record to just two wins from six matches.
The Gunners are hoping to end a run of three consecutive runners-up finishes as they seek their first league title since 2004.
“In this journey you are never going to be at the level for 70 games of the season but you have to be at the best you can,” Rice said. “The small details, the basics. This is a rollercoaster of a season. You can’t be naïve to think this is going to be easy.
“We are playing against the best teams week in, week out. We have to keep pushing and believing in ourselves, controlling the controllable.
“We have to block out the outside noise. We have done that really well. People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal but we have a really calm group.
“I’m not naïve to think Brentford are a pushover. They are one of the best teams in the league and their recent form shows that. It’s a point gained in our journey but we wanted to win the game.”
