Arsenal can go on a great run in the Champions League: Declan Rice
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Arsenal's Declan Rice in training ahead of their Champions League clash against Lens on Tuesday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Arsenal’s record signing Declan Rice believes they can go on a “great run” in Europe, pointing to Inter Milan’s unexpected trip to the final last season, where they lost a tight showpiece to Manchester City.
The Gunners are back in the continent’s premier club competition for the first time since 2016-17 and having won their opener handsomely against PSV Eindhoven 4-0
The closest Arsenal have come to winning the Champions League was in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the final.
Arsene Wenger’s side took a first-half lead via Sol Campbell despite goalkeeper Jens Lehmann being sent off after 18 minutes. But Barca’s double salvo in the last 14 minutes meant they ended up falling short.
Rice, who joined from West Ham United for £100 million (S$167 million) in the summer, told FourFourTwo: “Arsenal got so close in 2006, so to add that to the trophies the club has won would be top. In club football, the Champions League is the biggest thing you can play in.
“A club like Arsenal deserves to be in the Champions League, and I feel like anything could happen.
“Look at Inter last season – they went all the way to the final and no one expected that, so you can go on a great run. I believe we can compete with the best.”
While Rice has had a strong start to his Arsenal tenure, fellow midfield addition Kai Havertz has had a tougher time since joining from Chelsea for £60 million.
But former Gunners defender Martin Keown believes Havertz’s first Arsenal goal – the German scored from the penalty spot against Bournemouth last Saturday – could be important for him.
Keown told TNT Sports: “Maybe this goal now will give him that confidence in front of goal, because I think that’s one area where he hasn’t looked confident.
“He was certainly confident to take the penalty, and there would have been a lot of pressure on it. That will help him when he finds himself in similar situations in front of goal...
“I’m not suggesting he’s in the level of (Dennis) Bergkamp, or Sol Campbell, or (Thierry) Henry, but those guys all had quite slow starts in an Arsenal shirt. And it took some time. But once they got going, you couldn’t stop them. So let’s see if he’s in that group.”
Lens stopped Arsenal on their first Champions League sojourn, drawing 1-1 at home and then upsetting them 1-0 in London in the group stage in 1998.
Like then, they are heavy underdogs on Tuesday.
Not that it bothers forward Florian Sotoca. He said: “We are outsiders but we have no fear. It’s only positive, only pleasure... We will try to show our true colours.”
His coach Franck Haise, architect of the club’s recent rise, noted: “We will have to play this match with our character and the desire to impose certain things on the game.
“Possession is not what we have to win the match on. I hope to have some time in control but the fight is not about possession of the ball. We are in this competition, and we deserve to be here.”
He added: “Yes, we are a small outsider, and obviously we are not going to compare ourselves to Arsenal, but we must play these matches with a lot of character, like in Seville (Lens drew 1-1 with Sevilla a fortnight ago), on our principles, our commitment, our desire to impose certain things.”
