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Rice rues profligacy but is sure Arsenal will bounce back

Rice rues profligacy but is sure Arsenal will bounce back

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Declan Rice is sure Arsenal can land the major prizes despite a "gutting" Champions League semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

A "gutted" Declan Rice thinks Arsenal's failure to make the most of a bright start cost them dearly as they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.

Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi earned PSG a 2-1 win at Parc des Princes on Wednesday to complete a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

Vitinha also missed a second-half penalty for the hosts but Arsenal, who scored a consolation through Bukayo Saka, had great chances of their own, with Rice and Saka missing great chances, and Gianluigi Donnarumma making a host of superb saves.

Indeed, Arsenal produced an xG of 3.14 in the game, the most by a team against PSG in a Champions League game this season, while their 19 shots were also their most in a knockout match since having 20 away at Barcelona in March 2016.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Arsenal midfielder Rice said: "It’s gutting, such a dominant start – if you score one of those chances in the first 20 minutes, the game completely changes on its head. 

"It’s small margins in football – two mistakes from us, two goals for them. With the chances we’ve missed, it felt like it wasn’t meant to be. We've given it everything. 

"In this competition, you’re either in or you’re out. Over the two legs, we could have scored three or four goals, Donnarumma has been unbelievable – you’ve got to look at the small margins, it obviously wasn’t meant to be."

Arsenal went one better than their run to the quarter-finals last term but for the third season running have missed out on the Premier League title, with Liverpool this time being crowned victors.

Mikel Arteta's team have now failed to progress from each of their last four major cup semi-finals (2020-21 Europa League, 2021-22 EFL Cup, 2024-25 EFL Cup, 2024-25 Champions League).

Rice, though, thinks the Gunners will eventually get over the line to land silverware.

"In life, you’ve got to lose a few to win. You’ve got to overcome these setbacks and mentally grow as a person, a player and as a group," he added.

"We're going through that stage at the moment in terms of losing out in the league, coming close in the Champions League in back-to-back years. We're growing as a team and people, but we need to keep pushing. 

"This is why we play this sport. There's going to be setbacks along the way. PSG have gone through, we're gutted but this isn't going to define us for sure. 

"We’re going to be back, we’ll get the players back who have been out for a long time and we’ll be a much stronger outfit, that's for sure.

"We're all desperate [for a trophy]. It's why we play football, we want to win trophies. For whatever reason, it hasn't been meant to be – it’s not good enough, because Arsenal are a club that need to win trophies. 

"There's not a lot more we can be doing, but sometimes in life you have to go through small losses in order to win big.

"That's what the big superstars have done – they've all suffered defeats, but then come out on top. I'm sure this group will. It hurts, it's tough, we wanted to be in Munich. We'll be back."

Rice rues profligacy but is sure Arsenal will bounce back

Declan Rice is sure Arsenal can land the major prizes despite a "gutting" Champions League semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

A "gutted" Declan Rice thinks Arsenal's failure to make the most of a bright start cost them dearly as they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.

Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi earned PSG a 2-1 win at Parc des Princes on Wednesday to complete a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

Vitinha also missed a second-half penalty for the hosts but Arsenal, who scored a consolation through Bukayo Saka, had great chances of their own, with Rice and Saka missing great chances, and Gianluigi Donnarumma making a host of superb saves.

Indeed, Arsenal produced an xG of 3.14 in the game, the most by a team against PSG in a Champions League game this season, while their 19 shots were also their most in a knockout match since having 20 away at Barcelona in March 2016.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Arsenal midfielder Rice said: "It’s gutting, such a dominant start – if you score one of those chances in the first 20 minutes, the game completely changes on its head. 

"It’s small margins in football – two mistakes from us, two goals for them. With the chances we’ve missed, it felt like it wasn’t meant to be. We've given it everything. 

"In this competition, you’re either in or you’re out. Over the two legs, we could have scored three or four goals, Donnarumma has been unbelievable – you’ve got to look at the small margins, it obviously wasn’t meant to be."

Arsenal went one better than their run to the quarter-finals last term but for the third season running have missed out on the Premier League title, with Liverpool this time being crowned victors.

Mikel Arteta's team have now failed to progress from each of their last four major cup semi-finals (2020-21 Europa League, 2021-22 EFL Cup, 2024-25 EFL Cup, 2024-25 Champions League).

Rice, though, thinks the Gunners will eventually get over the line to land silverware.

"In life, you’ve got to lose a few to win. You’ve got to overcome these setbacks and mentally grow as a person, a player and as a group," he added.

"We're going through that stage at the moment in terms of losing out in the league, coming close in the Champions League in back-to-back years. We're growing as a team and people, but we need to keep pushing. 

"This is why we play this sport. There's going to be setbacks along the way. PSG have gone through, we're gutted but this isn't going to define us for sure. 

"We’re going to be back, we’ll get the players back who have been out for a long time and we’ll be a much stronger outfit, that's for sure.

"We're all desperate [for a trophy]. It's why we play football, we want to win trophies. For whatever reason, it hasn't been meant to be – it’s not good enough, because Arsenal are a club that need to win trophies. 

"There's not a lot more we can be doing, but sometimes in life you have to go through small losses in order to win big.

"That's what the big superstars have done – they've all suffered defeats, but then come out on top. I'm sure this group will. It hurts, it's tough, we wanted to be in Munich. We'll be back."

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