"We put our body on the line to get the three points" - Declan Rice delighted with 10-man Arsenal win over Crystal Palace

Declan Rice was a relieved man after Arsenal scraped through to a narrow 1-0 Premier League win against West Ham United.

Eddie Nketiah once again justified his selection in the starting XI when he won a penalty seven minutes into the second half. Martin Odegaard made no mistake from the spot to hand his team the advantage at Selhurst Park.

But things got tricky after Takehiro Tomiyasu's sending-off for a second bookable offense in the 67th minute. With more than 20 minutes left in the game, Arsenal had a tough task to hold onto their narrow lead in a daunting atmosphere.

They did just that, managing their third consecutive win against the Eagles in the Premier League. After the game, Rice told Sky Sports (h/t BBC):

After dominating the game in the first half, the Gunners had a mixed second 45 minutes. After the sending-off, the hosts kept 74.5% of the ball and managed seven shots while Arsenal recorded none.

Declan Rice was important in Arsenal keeping a clean sheet against Crystal Palace away from home.

The England international, signed for £105 million from West Ham United this summer, made two clearances and four recoveries. He won the solitary tackle he attempted and completed 90% of his 60 attempted passes (h/t FotMob).

Speaking on his role in Mikel Arteta's midfield, Rice said, via the aforementioned source:

Rice largely played in a double pivot at West Ham but will have to adapt to different roles under Arteta, who tinkers with his system every now and then. The 24-year-old's next task will be to help his team secure all three points in a home league game against Fulham on 26 August.