Arsenal 1-0 Atletico Madrid: ‘We Knew We Were Going to Win,’ says Gunners’ Midfielder Declan Rice

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has described the jubilant scenes in the dressing room after the club’s latest European triumph, calling it ‘chaos’ and insisting the players have every right to celebrate their progress in what he called ‘the most prestigious competition in club football.’

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Rice reflected on the magnitude of the occasion:

‘We knew coming into the game what was at stake. If you can’t get up for that, then you can’t get up for any game of football. When we went 1-0 up, I knew we were going to win. I could feel something special building.’

Rice also reserved special praise for 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who impressed on the big stage.

‘We have always known what Myles can do. I remember last year when he stepped up at Real Madrid away at the Bernabeu at 18, I thought: ‘Wow, what a player.’ The manager has been tough on him behind the scenes, but he has kept his head down and worked so hard. To be thrown in at the deep end and perform how he did is no surprise to me.’

Reflecting on Arsenal’s broader journey, Rice highlighted the transformation under Mikel Arteta:

‘Where this club has come from over the last few years, things that hurt you as a player. The manager has taken full control. We have kept building, kept pushing each other. This competition and the Premier League. We have gone full throttle. We have found ourselves in a good position with less than a month to go. Sunday now is a massive one.’