Rice 'knew' Arsenal would dethrone Real Madrid ()
<img src="https://thesun.my/binrepository/400x267/0c21/400d225/none/11808/STIY/2025-04-16t210756z-401557033-up1el4g1mp6g6-rtrmadp-3-soccer-champions-rma-ars-report_5134610_20250417080838.jpg"><p><b>MADRID</b>: Declan Rice said Arsenal are on course for “special things” after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to cruise into the Champions League semi-finals 5-1 on aggregate.</p><p>Rice's two stunning free-kicks in the first leg set the Gunners on their way to dethroning the defending European champions.</p><p>The England international also won man of the match in the second leg as goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli secured a famous win in Spain.</p><p>“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition,“ Rice told TNT Sports.</p><p>“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before.</p><p>“But we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game.</p><p>“We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win.”</p><p>Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in their first Champions League semi-final since 2009.</p><p>The London club have never won European football's top prize and last won the Premier League back in 2003/04.</p><p>However, Rice, who joined from West Ham for a club record £105 million ($139 million) in 2023, believes major trophies are just around the corner for Mikel Arteta's men.</p><p>“It’s massive. I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,“ he added.</p><p>“This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manger - he’s unbelievable!</p><p>“Semi-finals is massive for us and we want to take tonight in.”</p><p>Madrid rarely threatened to overturn their first leg deficit but Rice and Arsenal had to survive a scare after he was initially penalised for a foul on Kylian Mbappe inside the penalty area in the first half.</p><p>After a lengthy VAR check, the spot-kick was eventually ruled out and a yellow card that would have ruled Rice out of the first leg of the semi-final was rescinded.</p><p>“I knew it wasn’t a penalty,“ said Rice. “He just fell to the floor.”</p>
