Mo Salah’s Priceless Reaction to Declan Rice’s Speech on Arsenal’s EPL Failure Trends at PFA Awards
- Mohamed Salah gave a funny reaction as Declan Rice reflected on Arsenal’s EPL frustrations at the PFA Awards
- Salah, who led Liverpool to win the Premier League last season, won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year for a record third time
- Rice admits Arsenal’s struggles but vows the Gunners will “keep pushing” for the Premier League title
Mohamed Salah once again stole the spotlight at the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards after his priceless reaction to Arsenal star Declan Rice’s speech about the Gunners’ recent Premier League frustrations went viral.
The Egyptian forward, alongside teammate Virgil van Dijk, could not resist grinning as Rice reflected on Arsenal’s run of near-misses in the English top flight.
Source: Getty Images
The moment quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the night, overshadowing even some of the awards themselves.
Rice’s speech on Arsenal’s EPL misses
During his speech, Declan Rice admitted it has been difficult for Arsenal to come so close without getting over the line in the Premier League.
“It has obviously been really tough coming second three years in a row,” Rice said.
“But I have said it before, in life you have got to go through some small losses in order to win.”
At the mention of “second places” and “small losses,” Salah was caught on camera glancing at van Dijk, before both players exchanged knowing smiles, Daily Mail reports.
Fans immediately interpreted it as a cheeky jibe at Arsenal’s struggles in the last three seasons, where the Gunners have finished second consecutively.
Liverpool reign supreme in PFA Awards
Salah, van Dijk, and Rice were all on stage to be honoured for their inclusion in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, The Sun reports.
Source: Getty Images
Liverpool dominated with five players selected, while Arsenal followed closely with three.
It was also a personal night of history for Salah, who was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year for a record third time, cementing his place among Premier League legends.
The 32-year-old had an outstanding campaign, finishing with 29 goals, 18 assists, and the league title, becoming the first player in Premier League history to win the Golden Boot, Playmaker award, and Player of the Season in the same year.
Arsenal still in the EPL race
Despite the teasing reactions, Salah did not shy away from acknowledging Arsenal’s progress. The Egyptian forward even tipped Mikel Arteta’s side as Liverpool’s strongest challengers this season.
“I think you have a great team this season as you did last season,” Salah said.
“You have a really good chance. I think you are the favourite now because you have players who have been together for five years. I can’t say I’ll wish you luck, hopefully we do it again.”
Bookmakers have placed Liverpool as favourites to retain their crown, with Arsenal ranked second ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea.
Salah sets new EPL record
In another development, Legit.ng reported that two-time CAF Player of the Year, Mohamed Salah, became the first player to score 10 Premier League goals on Match Day one.
The Egyptian forward was on the scoresheet as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-2 in the opening match of the 2025/26 English Premier League season at Anfield on Friday night, August 15.
Source: Legit.ng
