Arsenal’s UCL Final Run Shouldn’t Be Underestimated – Rice

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has shared the scenes of chaos inside the team’s dressing room after the club secured their place in the UCL final. The North London giants recently ended a two-decade wait for a European Cup final appearance with a tough 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a Bukayo Saka winner.

Disclosing that what Arsenal has done so far this season should not be underestimated, Rice revealed that the players and fans have every right to celebrate reaching the final of the most prestigious competition in club football.

Admitting that the gravity of the match was never in doubt, Declan added that the squad was fully prepared for the battle against Diego Simeone’s men.

His words, “It is chaos [in the dressing room]. I don’t think you can underestimate what we have done in this competition up to this point. I think we have every right to celebrate that moment. The most prestigious competition in club football. We are just trying to soak it all in.

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.

We have always known what Myles can do. I remember last year when he played so many games. Last year when he stepped up [against] Real Madrid away at the Bernabeu at 18 – I thought: ‘Wow what a player.’

The manager has been tough on him behind the scenes. He has kept his head down and he has worked so hard. He is in early, gym and works hard. To be thrown in at the deep end and perform how he did is no surprise to me.

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 – we have 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.”

WOW.

Arsenal Football Club is an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. Arsenal compete in the Premier League, the top flight of English football.

The club has won 13 league titles (including one unbeaten title), a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, 17 FA Community Shields, the Football League Centenary Trophy, one European Cup Winners’ Cup and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In terms of trophies won, it is the third-most successful club in English football.

After conducting an overhaul in the club’s operating model to coincide with Wenger’s departure, Spaniard Unai Emery was named as the club’s new head coach on 23 May 2018. He became the club’s first ever ‘head coach’ and second manager from outside the United Kingdom.

In Emery’s first season, Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League and as runner-up in the Europa League. On 29 November 2019, Emery was dismissed as manager and former player and assistant first team coach Freddie Ljungberg was appointed as interim head coach. On 20 December 2019, Arsenal appointed former club captain Mikel Arteta as the new head coach. Arsenal finished the league season in eighth, their lowest finish since 1994–95, but beat Chelsea 2–1 to earn a record-extending 14th FA Cup win. After the season. Arteta’s title was changed from head coach to manager.