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It was a tense 2-1 win over rivals Spurs with both teams missing key players through injury. The away team took the lead against the run of play with Son Heung-min's deflected volley opening the scoring after 25 minutes.
Before the half-time whistle, though, the Gunners had turned the game around to lead 2-1. Gabriel's header from a (controversially awarded) corner, which ultimately went down as a Dominic Solanke own goal pulled Mikel Arteta's men level before Leandro Trossard fired in a second in quick succession.
A tired second half followed, and with Arsenal unable to make the most of their chances, Tottenham looked capable of grabbing a late leveller but could not find a way past a stubborn opposition defence. With three points in the bag, Rice was clearly delighted with the win but when speaking to TNT Sports after the game, took the opportunity to defend Havertz.
The German was well supported by fans in the Emirates stadium on the night and their affection came as a response to the vile abuse the forward has faced online in the past week after missing the vital penalty in the FA Cup loss to Manchester United. His wife Sophia Havertz shared screenshots of the threatening messages sent to her social media account, which included a death threat to their unborn baby. Lashing out, Rice said:
“There's a social media perception, then when you come to the stadium and actually hear the real fans and what they think, it's two different things.
“The cheer he got tonight was ridiculous, it was the loudest cheer of the night when his name called out you could tell that meant a lot to him."
Rice added: “The way he fights and scraps for 90 minutes and does it week in and week out. Alright, he might not score every week but what he does for the team is the most important and he's been brilliant for us.
“You could see the reception before the game for Kai. It was unbelievable the cheer he got and what he's done for this team, the goals he scored at important times this year. I'm never going to knock anyone and we need full support for all players.”
kai havertz
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Domino's Slammed for Kai Havertz Tweet After Arsenal Lose to Man Utd
Although Havertz has had a dip in form in recent matches, having been absent due to illness just before that, he still has
goals in 28 games this season – making him the club's top scorer. With that in mind, it's no surprise real fans were quick to get behind him during the derby.
Arteta also passionate defended the German in the week, saying: "We can accept it and say it's a part of our job, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn."
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