Arteta Brushes Off Rice and Stuivenberg Tunnel Bust-Up as Non-Issue

Mikel Arteta has moved to quash any concerns about friction between Declan Rice and Arsenal assistant Albert Stuivenberg following footage of the pair trading words in the tunnel at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

The incident unfolded at the interval of Arsenal's 3-2 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg triumph over Chelsea, with Gabriel stepping in to defuse the situation as the teams prepared for the second half. Rice later embraced Stuivenberg when he took a seat in the dugout after being withdrawn during the second half.

When pressed on the matter ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest, Arteta was dismissive of the whole affair.

"All sorted, all good," the Arsenal boss confirmed at his press conference. "The good thing is that by the time I found out, the problem was resolved so that's very good."

With Arsenal sitting six points clear atop the Premier League table, Arteta was asked whether his side are building towards something exceptional. The manager acknowledged the positive trajectory his team has established.

"We are building very good momentum and belief comes from performances and the level of consistency that we have shown throughout 32 games already this season, and what we did at Stamford Bridge," Arteta said. "It should help us to be very convinced that we have the ability to do that, but the reality is that you have to show it in every game and there's still so much to happen, but we are glad that we are still alive in the four competitions."

Turning his attention to the weekend's visit to the City Ground, Arteta acknowledged the stern examination awaiting his side.

"Winning away from home in the Premier League is extremely tough. They are a team that have done a lot of things right over the last few years to build a really good team," he explained. "They have shown they are different, very efficient in what they do and very clear identity and that's what makes them so dangerous."

The Arsenal manager also paid tribute to Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche, recognising his impact on the East Midlands outfit's recent success.

"[Sean Dyche is] a top coach. Really good at what he does. You can see his fingerprints in the team, the way they play and the results they have got against some big teams. The things they are constantly [making you do]. It's another tough match."