Arteta drops stunning Gabriel revelation as Rice sends message to Arsenal penalty missers
Mikel Arteta admitted the plan at Arsenal was always to have centre-back, Gabriel Magalhaes, take the fifth and usually decisive penalty kick in the Champions League final, while Declan Rice sent messages to the Brazilian and Eberechi Eze.
Arsenal fell agonisingly short in their quest to win their first ever European Cup/Champions League when losing to PSG on penalties.
David Raya saved one of the five spot kicks he faced, but his efforts proved insufficient when both Eze and Gabriel missed the target altogether with their own efforts.
Gabriel will have been a surprise choice in many people’s minds for the pressure-packed fifth penalty.
Clubs generally put their best penalty takers either first of fifth in the order, and Gabriel has never taken a penalty outside of a shoot-out in his professional career.
Yet speaking post-match and in quotes carried by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal boss Arteta claimed the plan was always for Gabriel to take the glory kick in the shoot-out.
Arsenal ‘trained’ for Gabriel taking fifth penalty – Arteta
“Gabriel wanted to take the last penalty,” he said. “We trained for that moment.”
Gunners midfielder Rice revealed Gabriel and Eze are understandably “devastated” after their respective misses in Budapest.
Accordingly, Rice publicly supported the pair and insisted that without the duo, Arsenal wouldn’t have enjoyed the incredible season they have which let’s not forget, did deliver their Premier League title since 2004.
He said: “[They are] devastated to miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it’s not nice.
“But we love them and 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 as a player.
“Eze has had some crucial goals for us this season. It happens, It’s football and it’s cruel. We take positives and we keep going.”
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On tasting defeat in the biggest game of his career, Rice said: “Yeah, it’s gutting, it’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties.
“Trying to take perspective on how far we’ve come as a group. Incredible season, gave it absolutely everything, we took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery, It’s football.
“You can either win or lose on penalties. 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, 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.”
