England international Declan Rice has put Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain behind him, insisting the team will come back stronger and fight for more trophies.
Arsenal suffered a painful loss in Budapest, where PSG retained their European crown after winning on penalties in a tense final at the Puskás Arena.
Mikel Arteta’s side had started brightly, with Kai Havertz scoring inside the opening six minutes to send Arsenal fans into celebration, but PSG fought back in the second half.
Ousmane Dembélé equalised from the penalty spot in the 65th minute, before the match eventually went to a shootout, where Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães missed their efforts, handing PSG the victory.
Despite the disappointment, Arsenal quickly regrouped and travelled back to London in the early hours before joining fans for their Premier League title celebrations in north London later that day.
The victory parade saw thousands of supporters gather across Islington, Highbury and Canonbury as Martin Ødegaard and his teammates displayed the league trophy on an open-top bus.
Rice, who played a key role in Arsenal’s campaign, reflected on the season with optimism and pride, expressing belief in the squad’s future success.
“I love this team, I love this manager,” he said, adding that the group’s ability to bring joy to fans was “incredible.”
He also sent a strong message ahead of next season, saying: “Next year we’re coming back for more. Lock in or get locked out.”
Arsenal will now turn attention to building on their strong campaign as they aim for more silverware next season.