Declan Rice Believes Arsenal Can Achieve 'Special Things'

Declan Rice expresses confidence in Arsenal's ability to achieve “special things” after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League quarter-finals. Get the latest updates on Arsenal's progress.

Declan Rice expressed confidence in Arsenal's ability to progress, saying, “There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they've done it so many times before. But we knew we were going to knock them out.” Rice's assertion proved accurate as Arsenal beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu, cruising into the Champions League semi-finals 5-1 on aggregate.

Rice highlighted the significance of the win, stating, “It's such a special night for this club, it's a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.” He believes Arsenal is on course for “special things” after dethroning the defending European champions.

Relentless Rice.

Last night's Player of the Match as voted by you, Gooners 👏 pic.twitter.com/hr2kJZ2Qr5

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 17, 2025

Arsenal's Declan Rice reflected on the team's confidence after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu, saying, “But we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win.”

This confidence propelled Arsenal to a 5-1 aggregate victory, securing their spot in the Champions League semi-finals where they'll face Paris Saint-Germain. It's the Gunners' first semi-final appearance since 2009.

The London club has never won European football's top prize and last won the Premier League back in 2003/04. However, Declan Rice believes major trophies are on the horizon for Mikel Arteta's men. “It's massive. I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,” he said. “This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager - he's unbelievable!”

Rice's confidence stems from the team's progress, highlighted by their 5-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid. “Semi-finals is massive for us and we want to take it in.” The team had to overcome a tense moment when Rice was initially penalized for a foul on Kylian Mbappé, but they held firm to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

A potentially pivotal moment came when Declan Rice was initially penalized for a foul on Kylian Mbappé, which would have resulted in a spot-kick and a yellow card that could have ruled him out of the first leg of the semi-final. However, after a lengthy VAR check, the decision was overturned.

Back-to-back POTMs vs Real Madrid 😮‍💨#UCL pic.twitter.com/ylytP6W2pe

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025

Rice reflected on the incident, saying, “I knew it wasn't a penalty. He just fell to the floor.” The overturned decision was a significant relief for Arsenal, allowing Rice to continue playing a crucial role in the match.