Arsenal’s Declan Rice Urges Team to Stay Grounded After Strong Champions League Performance
LONDON — Declan Rice has cautioned his Arsenal teammates against becoming overly confident following their impressive 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, which secured their perfect start in the Champions League group stage.
The Gunners extended their winning streak in European competition to five matches this season, thanks to goals from Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli, marking Bayern’s first loss of the season across all competitions.
Younger player Lennart Karl equalized for Bayern Munich in the 32nd minute after Timber’s initial goal, but Madueke and Martinelli, who came on as substitutes, helped secure a critical second-half turnaround to put Arsenal at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League standings.
Rice commented on the performance, stating, “Bayern Munich has been the top team in Europe this season. This was probably our toughest tactical challenge this year. Their method of play is incredibly effective.”
“In the second half, we played man-to-man and I believe we were exceptional. The manager was very pleased. It was a memorable European night,” he added.
Addressing the current season compared to the last, Rice noted, “There are many leaders within the squad. We are focusing on one game at a time with a strong desire to win each match. There’s a lot ahead of us, and we must avoid getting carried away.”
Previously, Arsenal faced Bayern in the quarterfinals two seasons ago, where they were eliminated. Manager Mikel Arteta remarked on the differences from that time, saying, “Both teams have evolved. The last encounter was decided by very small margins. However, that’s in the past now. We hope to apply what we’ve learned and improve moving forward.”
“We’ve demonstrated consistent performance in the competition thus far, but this is just the beginning,” he concluded.
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