

The midfielder lamented the fact that the team didn’t capitalize on their opportunities, stating they were perhaps unlucky not to have added more goals to their tally.
Rice remarked, "Tonight was about more than just the three points. The first 45 minutes were a display of absolute dominance where we exhibited intent, desire, and relentless pressure. It was clear we were in a derby match, and honestly, I feel we could have easily scored 10 goals on the night! That’s how overwhelming our performance was."
He continued, addressing the injury challenges faced by the squad: "We are all feeling the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who will likely be out for a significant period due to an ACL injury. This is tough for us, and I trust the manager to seek reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window, especially as we had to field Kieran Tierney on the left wing."