“Without them two, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League” — Declan Rice defends Gabriel and Eze after heartbreaking penalty misses in Champions League final
Arsenal’s dream of a first-ever European Cup ended in devastating fashion on Saturday night in Budapest, with Paris Saint-Germain retaining their Champions League crown after a gripping 1–1 draw went to a shootout. But while heartbreak swept through the red half of the Hungarian capital, it was Declan Rice who stepped forward to defend the two men at the centre of the drama.
“Missing a penalty in a Champions League final isn’t nice. But we love them. Look, that happens in football. They aren’t going to be the last players to miss a penalty in a final. Everyone has missed a penalty.”
— Declan Rice, post-match interview
Rice was emphatic in his support, adding the context that defined Arsenal’s entire season: Eze and Gabriel were instrumental in the club’s Premier League title triumph — the Gunners’ first league championship in decades — and a poor moment in a shootout cannot erase that contribution.
“Without them two this season, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League.”
— Declan Rice
What happened in the shootout?
After a 1–1 draw following 120 minutes — Kai Havertz scoring early for Arsenal before Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the spot — the final was decided by a penalty shootout. PSG were flawless, with Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Beraldo all converting. For Arsenal, Eze and Gabriel both failed to beat the PSG goalkeeper, while Rice himself stepped up and scored amid the tension.
The final blow came when Gabriel sent his penalty blazing over the crossbar, sparking wild celebrations in the PSG end and confirming back-to-back Champions League titles for Luis Enrique’s side.
Comments are closed.