Arsenal have just got the job done against Sporting CP in the Champions League.
The Gunners had a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Lisbon, and all they had to do at the Emirates on Wednesday night was keep a clean sheet.
Mikel Arteta’s men have done exactly that, and they should be proud of making it into the semi-finals of the Champions League for the second season running.
Declan Rice is absolutely delighted, despite what some of Arsenal’s critics are saying about the performance.
Who was your Man of the Match vs Sporting CP?
Declan Rice says he doesn’t care about Arsenal’s haters after getting past Sporting CP
Arsenal have been criticised all season for one reason or another.
At first, all the noise was about scoring goals from set-pieces, and it then turned into questions over whether they could sustain what they were doing for the entirety of the season.
Recently, after Arsenal’s three consecutive domestic defeats, the criticism went to a whole new level, and a lot has been said about the style of play.
Even after getting past Sporting CP, the narrative has been that it was a frustrating game for Arsenal, but Rice is having none of that.
He hit back by claiming that nobody cares about what people think and is ready to tackle the final games of the season head-on.
Rice told TNT Sports, as quoted by the BBC: “Frustrating? No, we just got to a semi-final, positivity all the way. Who cares what people think?
“All that matters is what this group think, what the manager thinks, and we’re in another semi-final. I’m delighted. We’ll keep going. Keep playing well. Keep getting over the line and bring it on. Bring on everything.”
Speaking more about the noise around the club, he said: “Like being at any other top club, there’s noise with everything. This is Arsenal football club, there’s noise with every game.
“If you don’t play well, if you don’t play good, take it with a pinch of salt and keep moving. Bring on the last few weeks. It’s a rollercoaster. Nobody’s going to hand you anything in this game.
“Let’s keep going, and what will be will be. Let’s keep going strong.”
Simple question: How do Arsenal win the Champions League from here?
Through to the semi-finals, but the performance was not good enough…
Declan Rice’s mindset is spot on and Arsenal players should follow him
Rice wore the captain’s armband during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw against Sporting CP, and his post-game comments are exactly like those of a leader.
The Englishman is right – nobody inside the club should care about what’s being said by pundits and rival fans. None of them matter!
What matters is the unity within the group and the ambition they have to go all the way in both the Premier League and Champions League.
“Bring it on, bring on everything,” said Rice in his interview, and that is the exact mindset every player in the Arsenal squad should have going into the remaining games.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
