Mind the Slip - Declan Rice Rally Cry Could Echo Infamous Steven Gerrard Slip

Watch Out – R-Icey Surface Ahead

Arsenal’s defeat to Man City could prove significant for many reasons – it allowed Manchester City back within touching distance of the top of the Premier League, while simultaneously validating 95% of Premier League fan predictions that Arsenal would find a way to bottle yet another piece of silverware.

However, it could prove most significant for a moment which hasn’t actually happened yet. Everyone has seen the clip of Declan Rice saying, “It’s not done, it’s not done,” to Martin Ødegaard in the wake of Arsenal’s defeat, but it was not what he said that made the clip go viral.

Instead, it did the rounds on social media thanks to its striking similarity to a moment that has since gone down as one of the Premier League’s most famous moments – Steven Gerrard’s “don’t let this slip” speech.

This title race is going down to the wire. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XHITjrssy9

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 19, 2026

History Repeating Itself

We all know the story – after a huge win against top-of-the-table rivals Man City during the 2013/14 title run-in, Gerrard gathered his Liverpool teammates around him and delivered a stirring speech, one to inspire greatness and steely resolve.

A TV camera nearby caught the whole thing, but only one part of the speech is remembered – at the very end, Gerrard delivered his punchline, shouting, 'This does not fcking slip now; this does not fcking slip! We go again!”

Needless to say, what happened next has gone down in history – in their third-last game of the season, Gerrard quite literally slipped to let Demba Ba through on goal as Chelsea walked to a 2-0 win, a damaging result which would eventually cost Liverpool their first-ever Premier League title, one which they would have to wait a further six years for.

Rice’s defiant statement may well go a long way towards keeping him and his teammates in the right frame of mind for a title race, but it seems as if history could be trying to repeat itself – Rice's words perfectly set him and Arsenal up for failure.

Of course, Arsenal still have a modicum of control over their own destiny. If City win their game in hand, they will move level on points with the Gunners, making goal difference, which right now is tipping in Arsenal's favour by just one, the deciding factor. All the Gunners would need to do is outscore City in their final five games of the season, and a first Premier League title since 2004 will be theirs.

However, having now lost back to back Premier League games against Bournemouth and City (by the same 2-1 scoreline no less), it seems as if things have already started to slip for Mikel Arteta’s side.

All of the ground work laid earlier in the season is now at risk of being completely undone, and Arsenal would have no one to blame but themselves. The opportunity to play entertaining, attacking football has been there, but they refused to take it in favour of their defensive, set-piece-orientated style.

The chance to beat Manchester City and all but secure the title was also there, but they blew that as well and have now landed themselves in some hot water.

With much of the Premier League's national and indeed global fanbase predicting an Arsenal meltdown, the Gunners are at the moment obliging them in spectacular fashion, and if Declan Rice is to get his own Steven Gerrard moment, that would simply be the icing on the cake.