Declan Rice Silently Scores for Arsenal — But His Hidden Message to Taunting West Ham Fans Has Everyone Talking!

Declan Rice Silently Scores for Arsenal — But His Hidden Message to Taunting West Ham Fans Has Everyone Talking!

Declan Rice was initially commended for not celebrating after scoring for Arsenal in their 2-0 victory over West Ham, but his subtle reaction sent a clear message to his former fans about how he feels about their taunts.

More than two years after West Ham sold Rice to Arsenal for a staggering £105 million, it’s clear the Hammers have struggled to replace the influence he had in their midfield. Only recently, with signings like Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa, have they started to rebuild.

Meanwhile, Rice has become arguably Arsenal’s key player, just as he was at West Ham — proving the doubters wrong who questioned his price tag when he made the switch.

His decision to join Arsenal over other top clubs like Manchester City and Bayern Munich caused some friction with West Ham supporters.

It also came to light that Rice had been in talks with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta six months before the transfer, adding to the frustration.

Arsenal fans have gleefully reminded West Ham supporters that their former captain now plays a pivotal role for the Gunners.

While West Ham took pride in derailing Arsenal’s title hopes in recent seasons, that changed under Nuno Espirito Santo, especially with Rice’s goal and overall dominance helping Arsenal secure a solid win.

Rice has always been respectful towards West Ham, refusing to celebrate when scoring against them in a 6-0 thrashing at the London Stadium last year and often speaking warmly about the club.

His approach has been notably more gracious than some past West Ham departures, like Frank Lampard.

However, things may have shifted somewhat in his relationship with the Hammers fans. In the recent game, West Ham fans jeered and chanted at Rice, taunting him with phrases like “You should have signed for a big club.” After a save by Alphonse Areola bounced into Rice’s path, the midfielder calmly finished to give Arsenal a lead they never relinquished.

While many fans viewed the taunts as typical rivalry banter, and Rice’s lack of celebration was initially seen as classy, many missed his subtle but deliberate reaction: as he ran behind the goal, Rice smirked, stared directly at the West Ham fans, and even let out an exaggerated laugh, seemingly mocking their chants.

Some believe that if fans dish out such treatment, players should expect to face it back. Others feel that, as a former West Ham captain, Rice should have accepted the abuse without reacting to preserve his relationship with the club.

Unfortunately for Rice, the game ended on a sour note as he was forced off with a back injury following a hard tackle by Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Whether Rice’s mocking gesture will permanently damage his reputation among West Ham supporters remains uncertain, but social media reactions suggest it already has.