Declan Rice bust-up: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta speaks out on row between England midfielder and assistant coach 'AirPods Albert'

Eyebrows were raised in midweek when cameras caught Arsenal midfielder Rice and Arteta’s right-hand man Stuivenberg at loggerheads at the halfway point against Chelsea.

With Arteta’s side 1-0 up thanks to Ben White’s first-half header, Rice and Stuivenberg - who is often referred to as ‘AirPods Albert’ due to his penchant for wearing an earpiece during matches - were seen arguing in the tunnel.

According to the Daily Mail, England international Rice reportedly shouted “he doesn’t know what he’s on about” towards the Dutchman, before adding “oh for f*ck's sake”, with emotions running high.

However, both Rice and Stuivenberg did embrace when the former was substituted on the 82-minute mark of the League Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge. The visitors secured a 3-2 win over Liam Rosenior’s Blues after Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi added to White’s earlier effort. Chelsea remain in the tie ahead of the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on February 3 after substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a second-half brace.

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When asked about the incident involving Rice and Stuivenberg ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League fixture away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Arteta simply said: “[It’s] all sorted, all good.”

And when pushed on whether the matter highlighted Rice’s intense drive to succeed, the Spaniard added: “Yes, and the good thing is that by the time I found out the problem was resolved so that's very good.”

Arteta and Stuivenberg developed a bond when studying for their UEFA A coaching licenses with the Football Association of Wales in Cardiff.

Stuivenberg spent 13 years working in the academy of Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord, before becoming assistant coach to compatriot Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in 2014. The 55-year-old - who also managed Belgian side Genk for a year between 2016 and 2017 - joined Arteta’s coaching staff in 2019 after his close friend was named Arsenal head coach in December of that year.

After successive victories in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup respectively, Arsenal return to league action when they travel to strugglers Nottingham Forest this weekend.

The north Londoners - who ran out 4-1 winners over Championship side Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Sunday, before beating Chelsea - are looking to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League by emerging from the City Ground with all three points.

Previewing the trip to Forest - who are currently 17th in the league, having lost four of their last five top-flight fixtures, Arsenal boss Arteta said: “Winning away from home in the Premier League is extremely tough. They (Forest) are a team that we have beaten over the last few years, and we have done a lot of things right to beat a really good team. With Sean [Dyche], they are different, very, very efficient in what they do, very clear identity and that’s what makes them very dangerous.

“He's a top coach, really good at what he does. You can see straight away the fingerprints on the team, the way they play, the results that they got against some of the big teams as well, how difficult they constantly make it for you. He's so experienced in the league, so it's a very tough match.”

And when asked about the mood in the Arsenal camp, with the club having put together a 10-game unbeaten streak since losing 2-1 at fellow title contenders Aston Villa on December 6, Arteta added: “I think we are building very good momentum, and belief comes from performances, and the level of consistency that we have shown through our 32 games already this season, and what we did the other day at Stamford Bridge, 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.”