Declan Rice believes Arsenal are ready to make history after they knocked out holders Real Madrid
First appearance in the semi-finals in 16 years
The Gunners stunned the Santiago Bernabeu with a 2-1 win on Wednesday night, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory over the reigning European champions.
Goals from Bukayo Saka (65’) and Gabriel Martinelli (90+3’) cancelled out Vinicius Jr.’s response for Los Blancos. Arsenal also missed an early penalty through Saka but held their nerve in a tense second half.
It marks the North London club’s first appearance in the semi-finals in 16 years, with a mouthwatering clash against Paris Saint-Germain now awaiting them.
"A historic night for this football club" – Declan Rice
Declan Rice, who scored twice in the first leg and led with poise in midfield again, didn’t hide his emotion after full-time:
“It’s such a special night – a historic moment for the club. Our goal has always been to win this competition, and we truly believed we could do it from the start. We came to Madrid to win, not just to protect a lead. We suffered, we stayed strong, and we did it. What a night!”
The England international, now one of Arsenal’s key leaders, highlighted the belief within the squad and praised the vision of manager Mikel Arteta:
“When I joined, I knew this club was on an upward path. It’s been tough in the Premier League, but in Europe we’ve shown what we’re made of. The future looks bright – we’ve got an incredible manager and young talents like Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly pushing through.”
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Calm under pressure – even against Mbappe
Rice also addressed a controversial moment when Kylian Mbappe went down in the box:
“I told him it wasn’t a penalty – I had my arm on him but didn’t bring him down. I’m honest – I would’ve admitted it. We stayed calm. That’s what great teams do.”
With PSG next, Arsenal fans are daring to dream. For Rice and his teammates, the message is clear: they’re not done yet.
