Special Things In Coming Years

Rice affirms trust in Arteta as Arsenal come of age with 5-1 aggregate win over Real

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MADRID - The feeling in the Arsenal camp this week, especially after April 16, is that manager Mikel Arteta has finally transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

The Gunners dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease, as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent them into the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first-leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free kicks, laid the foundations in London. But a 2-1 win in the fiery cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on April 16 was a coming-of-age performance for Arteta's rising stars.

The Spaniard's only major trophy in 5 1/2 years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup just months into his reign, but the general consensus now is that things will be different moving forward.

"I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory," said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal from West Ham United for a club-record £105 million (S$182.5 million) in 2023.

"This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager - he's unbelievable!"