Former Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor has expressed concerns over the fitness of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, suggesting the England international is showing clear signs of fatigue. Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor highlighted Rice’s visibly tired demeanor following Arsenal’s 1-1 stalemate with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
The ex-footballer pointed to Arsenal’s grueling schedule as a key factor, noting that the club has already played 57 matches this season across all competitions. In contrast, Fulham—Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League opponent—has only taken the field 41 times. This disparity, Agbonlahor argued, could take a toll on Mikel Arteta’s squad, especially key players like Rice.
“When you watch Declan Rice, especially on Saturday, he looks shattered,” Agbonlahor said. He warned that the cumulative effect of such a heavy fixture list might impact Arsenal’s ability to compete on multiple fronts, as they still have a chance to win two trophies this season.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://storefront.com.ng/declan-rice-looks-exhausted-says-gabby-agbonlahor-after-arsenals-ucl-draw/