Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has expressed unwavering belief in the Gunners’ ability to overturn their 1-0 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie, declaring the team is “fully ready” for what could be one of the most significant nights in the club’s history.
In the first leg at the Emirates Stadium on April 29, Ousmane Dembélé’s early goal handed PSG a narrow victory, while Arsenal’s Mikel Merino saw a goal disallowed for offside. As the teams prepare to clash in Paris for the decisive second leg on Wednesday, Rice emphasized the squad’s determination to rise to the occasion.
“We’re here to win the game. We’re here to make a statement. We want to get to the final,” Rice told journalists at the Parc des Princes. “We need to have big balls and go out there on the biggest stage to show that we’re ready to play at this level.”
Rice described the upcoming match as potentially “the biggest night in this club’s history,” expressing confidence that the team is mentally and physically prepared for the challenge. Arsenal must win on the night to progress to the final in Munich later this month, which would mark only the second time in the club’s history that they’ve reached the Champions League final — the first being in 2006.
Both Rice and manager Mikel Arteta are optimistic about Arsenal’s chances, despite PSG’s strong run in the knockout stages, having eliminated Premier League rivals Liverpool and Aston Villa. Arteta insisted his side did not deserve to lose the first leg and urged his players to deliver a performance worthy of a Champions League final.
“We are a win away from being in the Champions League final, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, against a great opponent. It doesn’t get much better than that,” said Arteta. “We are here to make history.”
Rice also reflected on Arsenal’s impressive quarter-final triumph over reigning champions Real Madrid, where he delivered two stunning free-kicks in the first leg and helped secure a 5-1 aggregate victory.
“There were questions about whether we could rise to the occasion at the Bernabéu,” he said. “But we handled it brilliantly as a group. Tomorrow is another huge step.”
Looking ahead to the second leg, Rice acknowledged that it might be someone else’s turn to deliver a match-winning moment: “That game against Madrid was my moment, but maybe tomorrow someone else will create that magic. Hopefully, we can deliver something special.”
On the team news front, Arteta confirmed that Dutch defender Jurrien Timber’s availability would be assessed ahead of the match, while Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori is fit and has traveled with the squad — his first involvement since March 12. Meanwhile, PSG manager Luis Enrique confirmed Dembélé is fit to play despite sustaining a hamstring concern in the first leg.
With everything on the line, Arsenal’s quest to return to Europe’s biggest stage continues — with belief, boldness, and history in their sights.
