Arsenal travel to West Ham United on Wednesday night, giving Declan Rice his first opportunity to play against his former club.

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Arsenal’s Declan Rice celebrates their victory on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London on October 8, 2023. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Declan Rice became Arsenal’s record signing over the summer, joining from West Ham United for a fee of £100m with another £5m in bonuses.

Such an expensive transfer always brings scrutiny, but Rice has handled the expectations excellently so far. He’s performed for Arsenal in the big games and helped the Gunners to 11 wins, three draws, and just one defeat in all competitions this season.

Despite handling the pressure so well, Rice will have to deal with it stepping up a notch if he’s involved for Arsenal on Wednesday.

The Gunners travel away to West Ham for a League Cup clash, and Mikel Arteta has answered questions on whether Rice will play against his old club.

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“He can be involved,” Arteta said. “It will be his first time back there at his old club, and a beautiful moment I think for him.

“I think it’s beautiful. I had experience to do it a few times (facing a former club) and then you really see what they think of you and what you left at the club.

“It’s a really good way to measure your experience and your reality within the reality of the people that share moments with you.”

Arsenal's English midfielder #41 Declan Rice crosses the ball during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on October 21, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s English midfielder #41 Declan Rice crosses the ball during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on October 21, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

As for whether Rice will get a good reception from his former supporters, Arteta seemed optimistic.

“I would say so, I hope so,” Arteta responded. “Especially [because] every time you hear him talk about West Ham and what they did for him and everybody at the club, he cannot talk any [more] highly.

“Hopefully, it will be the same way towards him.”

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LONDON, ENGLAND: Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrate following the team’s victory after the penalty shootout during The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

You’d think the West Ham fans wouldn’t have too many reasons to feel negatively towards Rice.

The midfielder stayed with them for long enough to win a European trophy, he kept them in the Premier League, and he left them with a huge sum of money to spend on replacing him.

West Ham appeared to invest those funds wisely in the summer, and they currently sit in the top half of the table, so Rice has hardly left them for dead.

But the tribal mind of a football fan might not always see things so clearly.

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