Rooney had criticized the Gunners after their 1-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg semi-final of the Champions League, suggesting that the team tends to flan up under pressure. He insinuated that Mikel Arteta's team lacked mentality to keep the distance, saying that Arsenal “generally collides on a wall” at this stage of major competitions. However, Rice quickly challenged this speech before the crucial return match in Paris on Wednesday.
Wayne Rooney Critic Arsenal
Rice rejected the idea that Arsenal should be intimidated by his French opponents, stressing his previous success against PSG in competition as proof of his resilience. The midfielder also referred to the victories of Arsenal outside against the PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid earlier in the knockout stages to drive the point home.
“It was the same team, apart from (Ousmane) Dembélé and (Khvicha) Kvaratskhelia. All the others were holders and we beat them. There is therefore no fear to have “Rice told journalists, referring to the 2-0 arsenal victory against PSG in the group phase.
Rice believes in it
“I think the goal scored in less than three minutes probably surprised us a little, has disturbed the atmosphere a little. But once we got off in the match, we started to create opportunities. The goalkeeper made incredible stops. We were convinced that we could beat them. Obviously, it was not planned, but we saw enough and we know enough, as a team, that we can do something really, really good. »»
The match in Paris will be a mental and tactical maturity test for Arsenal, especially under pressure from a trip in such an important game. After the confrontation against PSG, Arsenal will focus again on the Premier League, with a trip to Anfield on Sunday. There, they will face Liverpool, newly crowned champion, and should form a hedge of honor before kick -off.
