'We’re confident of winning the champions league’ - Declan Rice

Arsenal’s Declan Rice is ecstatic after his team’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, sealing a 5-1 aggregate win and booking their spot in the Champions League semi-finals.

Rice believes this is a historic night for the club and is desperate for Arsenal to win the competition.

“We want to win this competition,” Rice said, emphasising the team’s objective.

Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid marks their third appearance in the Champions League semi-finals, after 2005-06 and 2008-09.

Rice praised the team’s performance, saying they had the belief and confidence to overcome the deficit.

“We had it in our mind, and we have done it in real life,” he said. The win was all the more impressive given the challenging atmosphere at the Bernabeu.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, who made his debut in the match, echoed Rice’s comments, describing the experience as incredible.

“When you see it [Bernabeu] on TV, it is a lot different to what it is live,” he said.

Lewis-Skelly praised the team’s unity and backing for each other, which helped them navigate the tough conditions.

Declan Rice had a dramatic moment in the first half when he was adjudged to have pulled back Kylian Mbappe from a Madrid free-kick, resulting in a penalty.

However, after a VAR review, the penalty and yellow card were rescinded. Rice maintained that it wasn’t a penalty, saying, “I knew it wasn’t a pen. I had my arm on him, but I knew it wasn’t a pen.”

Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, having already beaten them 2-0 in the league phase.

Rice acknowledged PSG’s strength, saying, “Top team. We played them once already, but they’re a different team from what they were back then.”

The stage is set for an exciting semi-final matchup, with both teams looking to progress to the final.