Declan Rice and Arsenal have already set their sights on next season, despite missing out on their goal of becoming European champions following their Premier League victory
Declan Rice is confident Arsenal will go again (Image: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock)
Declan Rice has been Arsenal’s outstanding driving force all season. So it was perhaps appropriate that Rice would be the player to talk about an “upward trajectory” even after the most painful and devastating loss.
Rice was trying to come to terms with his Champions League heartbreak after Arsenal lost their fifth consecutive European final, this time to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. But Rice was keen to point out that even if they couldn’t achieve double success after winning their first title in 22 years, this season would still be one to remember and cherish.
With this, Arsenal have once again established themselves as a force to be reckoned with domestically, and after three consecutive years in second place, they are finally at the top of the table and are looking to repeat the same result in the Champions League.
But there was also a broader point as this is Arsenal’s chance to truly build, strengthen and evolve, not just as a team but as a club.
They have made great strides each season, but now they have to take a big leap forward. They have had success this season and have crossed the line. Maybe playing with a little more style is the next step. But don’t underestimate the energy that went into the season to finally win the title.
“I think we’ve been on an upward trajectory since I’ve been at this club,” Rice said. “This year, we played all the competition through February and March, and it was really tough and mentally draining.”
“It’s been three games a week since October, so I’m really proud of these guys, the players and how far we’ve come. To get over the line winning the Premier League was unbelievable and very special and we fully deserved it.”
“But we will use this moment to add fuel for next season. According to the players and, of course, the manager, there is no reason for us to stop here.”
“Next season will be an exciting time for the club as we will be even stronger and ready again.”
Declan Rice put up devastating numbers after PSG beat Arsenal on penalties
Arsenal’s spirits quickly turned from disappointment to celebration as they paraded through the streets of Islington to celebrate their Premier League victory.
However, there was also a loss in the final. Why did centre-half Gabriel take the fifth penalty? Three of Arsenal’s regular penalty takers – Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz – had already left the pitch.
Cristian Mosquera’s mistake gave away a penalty, and Ousmane Dembele’s spot-kick canceled out Havertz’s opening goal. Despite PSG’s pressure and possession, they didn’t really cause too many problems. It wasn’t PSG’s best night by any means.
But the really notable statistic was in pass completions. Arsenal were far behind PSG. At 1-1, Arsenal had a chance to create more chances, connect the ball and at least set up a one-on-one. But they blew it.
But the idea that Arsenal could be open was really nonsense. This PSG team defeated Inter Milan last year with all their attacking power, and Arsenal would have done the same if they had dared to go head-to-head with them.
Arsenal lost 4-3 in the penalty shootout due to mistakes by Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães (Image: (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images))
But being wider, more attacking and fluid is certainly a long-term goal for Mikel Arteta as he looks to build on this season.
Arsenal have played well at times this season. However, there is no getting away from the fact that many neutrals and rival fans are happy to see them lose.
Rice added: “We’re playing against a Paris Saint-Germain team who have the best attack in the world, but we can’t play a game where other teams are chasing us on the pitch because that’s what they want.”
“We really gave them very few chances and we had some chances ourselves and we really felt like it was going to go our way in the end. It wasn’t meant to be. It doesn’t define us.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
