Declan Rice admitted he was full of emotion, after we signed off the season at home with a potentially crucial 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday night.
Kai Havertz headed in Bukayo Saka’s corner in a dominant first-half display, but after that we relied on our defensive stability to close out the win, and move five points clear at the top of the table.
At the final whistle the team were serenaded during a lap of appreciation, and sent to Selhurst Palace with cheers ringing in their ears.
“It’s emotional because where this club’s come from, from the last 10 years, the ups and downs of this club,” Rice said afterwards. “Obviously, I wasn’t here before, but I knew all about it, heard all about it.
But to be a part of what’s going on now at this club is so special. This club deserves really good things and we’ve worked really hard towards that. So, let’s keep pushing.”
For the third league match in a row our margin of victory was just one goal to nil, but all that mattered, Rice said, was the win.
“Three points is three points,” he smiled. “First half, again, we show what we’ve been doing last couple of weeks; really good football and could have been two or three up.
“Second half was always going to be hard just because of the nature of where the season’s at, the stake of what’s in front of us.”
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It was a victory built on yet another clean sheet – our fifth in our last six games, and 32nd in all competitions this season. Rice said he was in awe of what he’s seen from our defenders especially this season.
“I don’t know where this club would be without the whole back four and the goalkeeper, to be honest with you.
Stuff that I’ve never seen before, the way they commit to training every day, the way they’re available every week and what they give to fight for this club is extraordinary. They deserve everything they’ve got. I think it’s 18 clean sheets on top of what they’ve done the last few seasons. They deserve something, that back four, for the work they’re putting in for all of us.”
It means we need just one more victory to get us over the line, and secure the title. We head to Selhurst Park next weekend with the title up for grabs, and Rice is keen to continue our momentum.
“It’s in our hands. We turned it around, we’ve won every game since we last lost. That’s all we’ve tried to do, just keep winning, stay positive. We’ve not won it yet, there’s still one to go – Sunday’s going to be proper.”
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