STINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER

Rice: Heartbreak won't stop us we'll come back even stronger

- JOHN CROSS

DECLAN RICE has been an outstanding driving force for Arsenal all season.

So it was probably fitting Rice was the player talking about “upwards trajectory”— even after the most painful devastating defeat.

He was trying to keep the Champions League heartbreak in perspective after the Gunners lost a fifth European final in a row, this time on penalties to Paris St-Germain.

But the midfielder was anxious to point out this should still be a season to cherish, even if they could not make it a double success after winning their first domestic title in 22 years.

That has established Arsenal as a force to be reckoned with again on home soil and, after finally coming first after three consecutive second-place finishes, they will try to do the same in the Champions League.

But there was also a wider point because now is a chance for Arsenal to build, strengthen and evolve not just as a team, but also as a club.