Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Rice, Havertz, Eze UCL Semi Preview

Declan Rice urges Arsenal to embrace history ahead of Atletico Madrid clash

Arsenal lead Man City by 3 points and face Atletico in UCL semi. Declan Rice says Gunners are ready, but Havertz and Eze limped off vs Newcastle.

Declan Rice wants Arsenal to enjoy UCL semi vs Atletico Madrid. Gunners 3 points clear in PL, but lost last 2 big games vs Man City...

Declan Rice has called on Arsenal to embrace the weight of history as they chase a first Champions League title ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid.

 

The Gunners head to the Spanish capital for the first leg aiming to move closer to just their second Champions League final appearance.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been branded English football’s nearly men after three straight runners-up finishes in the Premier League.

 

They’ve also fallen short in Europe, losing 3-1 on aggregate to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League semi-finals and exiting to Bayern Munich in the 2024 quarter-finals.

Arsenal have never won Europe’s elite club competition, with their only final ending in defeat to Barcelona in 2006.

 

The Premier League has become the London club’s holy grail after a painful run of near misses in recent years.

  

But winning the Champions League for the first time would be an equally strong answer to those questioning the mental strength of Arteta’s squad.

Just seven games stand between Arsenal and the club’s greatest ever season.

They’re three points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League title race, with four games left to play and five for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Three games remain in the Champions League if Arsenal make the final against PSG or Bayern in Budapest on May 30.

Rice wants his teammates to show their past experiences have made them battle-hardened for their push for history.

“We've played in tough games in the last three or four years at the highest level, so we know what to expect and what's to come,” the midfielder said.

“That's what it's been all season, and that's what we want it to be towards the end of the season.

“We're Champions League semi-finalists, let's embrace it, enjoy it and bring it on.”

The UEFA Champions League semi-final awaits ⏳ pic.twitter.com/9ag1PcDAC5

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 27, 2026

After losing two high-stakes showdowns with City recently - a 2-0 League Cup final defeat and 2-1 loss in the Premier League - the jury remains out on Arsenal's ability to get over the line when it matters most.

A fraught 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday was hardly a convincing response to the cynics.

But it did end a two-game losing run in the league and eased a little of the tension after four defeats in their previous six matches in all competitions.

Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz for the trip to Madrid after they limped off last weekend.

Eze had taken his goal tally for the season to 10 with a sublime strike against Newcastle.

 

The England midfielder has been a rare source of attacking inspiration in a side whose success has been built on a solid defensive foundation.

Winning N5 afternoons 😍

Photos in collaboration with Lily Craigen 📸 pic.twitter.com/SdAYbhwgmH

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 27, 2026

And Rice is desperate for his international teammate to be fit to face Diego Simeone's side.