Rice vows Arsenal will go 'even stronger' after Champions League final penalty defeat to PSG

Declan Rice has pledged that Arsenal will return to the Champions League final stronger next season after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, a defeat that ended the club’s hopes of completing a Double in the same year they ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

The loss was Arsenal’s fifth defeat in a European final in a row, and it came despite PSG failing to dominate proceedings. Kai Havertz gave Arsenal an early lead before Ousmane Dembélé’s penalty levelled the tie, and the match ultimately turned on the shootout — where centre-back Gabriel was called upon to take the fifth kick after regular takers Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Havertz had all been substituted off the pitch.

Rice, one of the driving forces behind Arsenal’s season, was quick to frame the defeat in the context of the club’s broader progress. “I think ever since I have come to this club we have been going on an upwards trajectory,” he said. “This year we were in all competitions until February, March — it was really tough, mentally draining. Since October it has been three games a week, so that is why I am so proud of these boys, of how far we have come. To win a Premier League, to get over the line, was incredible, so, so special. We fully deserved it.”

He added: “We are going to use this moment to add fuel to the upcoming seasons. Speaking to the players, obviously the manager, there is no reason why we are stopping here. Next season we are going to go even stronger and we are going to be ready again — so it is exciting times for this club.”

Arsenal’s title triumph ended three consecutive second-place Premier League finishes and re-established the club as a genuine domestic force. The Champions League final defeat, while painful, arrives at a moment when the club appears well-positioned to invest and evolve further.

One question that will linger is the tactical and squad management decisions that left Gabriel — a centre-back — as Arsenal’s fifth penalty taker. The absence of Saka, Ødegaard and Havertz from the pitch at that stage of the match highlighted the fine margins that can define knockout football at the highest level.

Despite the heartbreak, Arsenal’s players and supporters were quickly redirected toward celebration, with a title parade through the streets of Islington marking the Premier League success. For Rice, the message from inside the dressing room was clear: the defeat hurts, but it will not define what comes next.