Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice returned to London Stadium last night for the first time since he left West Ham United in the summer, and he got a mixed reaction from the fans.
The England international was applauded by some and booed by others when his name was read out and when he came on in the second-half.
Declan Rice goes out to warm-up for the first time. Few boos, but far more West Ham fans applaud the Arsenal midfielder.— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 1, 2023
The Hammers had the last laugh as they dumped Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup after securing a 3-1 win in the fourth round on Wednesday night.
Nevertheless, Rice was pleased to have returned to his former club, and he has since taken to social media platform Instagram to send a message to both sets of supporters.
The 24-year-old was introduced in the 57th minute with Arsenal already 2-0 down, and Jarrod Bowen compounded their woes by making it 3-0 three minutes later.
Rice could not do anything to inspire the Gunners to a comeback, and Martin Odegaard’s 96th-minute goal only served as a consolation.
Moyes on West Ham fans’ reception for Rice: “Everyone is entitled to their form of opinion. There isn’t a person in the stadium who doesn’t recognise that Declan Rice is a top football player.”He adds that he thought boos might have been an attempt to put him off his stride.— James Benge (@jamesbenge) November 1, 2023