Post match report as Arsenal beaten on penalties in Champions League final
Arsenal Football Newsletter
The Gunners lost European football’s showpiece fixture in Budapest on Saturday night in agonising fashion, going down 4-3 on penalties after a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Puskas Arena.
Gabriel sent the decisive spot-kick over the crossbar, needing to score with Arsenal’s fifth effort of the shootout in order to force sudden death after the pressure had been piled on by PSG defender and Brazil team-mate Lucas Beraldo.
Arsenal had initially ceded the initiative after Eze sent their second penalty wide of the post, though hope was swiftly restored after David Raya immediately denied Nuno Mendes.
Keep your head up: Declan Rice consoles Arsenal team-mate Eberechi Eze following his penalty miss
Viktor Gyokeres, Rice and Gabriel Martinelli all scored their penalties for Arsenal, while Goncalo Ramos, Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi were also on target for PSG.
Eze and Gabriel were both subject to criticism from pundits for their approach to their respective unsuccessful penalty attempts in the shootout, each deploying stutter steps before missing the target completely.
However, they received an immediate show of support from Arsenal team-mate Rice, who was asked how the duo were faring after their disappointment.
“[They are] devastated,” the England midfielder told TNT Sports. “Obviously to miss a penalty in a Champions League final is not nice.
“We love them, we're with them. It happens in football. They're not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals.
“Everyone's missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn't have won the Premier League, that's for sure. Gabriel, I've ran out of words for him, as a person and as a player.
“Eze has had some crucial goals for us this season. It happens, it's football and it's cruel. But we take positives and we keep going.”
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Reflecting on the loss overall, Rice said: “It's gutting. It's devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties. I'm trying to take perspective on how far we've come as a group.
“Incredible season. We gave it absolutely everything and took the game to penalties. It's a lottery, it's football.
“Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties and we were on the receiving end of that tonight. We win together, we lose together and I'm so proud of these boys.
“I can't speak highly enough of everyone. I'm obviously gutted but I'm trying to take perspective. It's been an incredible journey this season. We will be back.”