'We love them' - Gabriel and Eberechi Eze 'devastated' about penalty misses but Declan Rice stands up for Arsenal stars after Champions League final defeat

Arsenal's quest for a maiden European crown ended in tears at the Puskas Arena as they fell to a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat against holders PSG. In a tense finale, Eze saw his effort missed before Gabriel smashed the decisive penalty over the crossbar, confirming a second consecutive title for the French giants.

Speaking after the match, Rice was quick to protect his teammates from the inevitable fallout. "Devastated. Missing a penalty in a Champions League final isn't nice. But we love them. Look, that happens in football. They aren't going to be the last players to miss a penalty in finals. Everyone has missed a penalty. Without them two this season, we wouldn't have won the Premier League. It's cruel, but we take the positives," Rice told TNT Sports.

The defeat marked the end of a grueling 63-game campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side, who finally ended their 22-year wait for a league title earlier this month. Rice emphasised that while the result is painful, the progress made by the squad cannot be ignored.

"It's devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties," Rice admitted. "We tried to take a lot of perspective in how far we've come as a group. An incredible season. Our 63rd game in all competitions. We've given it absolutely everything. We took the game to penalties. It's a lottery. That's football, you can either win on pens or lose. Some of the best teams in the world have lost on pens. We're on the receiving end of that tonight. We win together and we lose together. I'm so proud of these boys. What a season. It's been incredible. I can't speak highly enough of everyone. I'm obviously gutted but I'm trying to look with a bit of perspective. We'll be back."

Despite the "cruel" nature of the defeat, Rice believes the trajectory of the club is clear. Under Arteta's guidance, Arsenal have evolved from quarter-finalists to finalists in short order. The midfielder revealed that the manager's post-match message was one of love and pride, urging the players not to let one night in Hungary define their journey.

"The emotions and the stakes are so high. It's cruel. [Arteta] spoke about how much he loves us as a the group. How we've given 100 per cent every single game with everything that's been thrown at us," Rice explained. "This is only the start for us. We got over the line in the Premier League, this would've been one step further but it wasn't to be. We keep building. Since I came to the club it was a quarter-final exit, then semi-final and now final. We keep going and keep staying positive. This isn't going to define us."

Saturday's dramatic final marked the first time a Champions League decider was settled by a penalty shootout since Real Madrid defeated neighbors Atlético Madrid a decade ago. With this victory, PSG have etched their name into football history, becoming only the second team in the modern Champions League era (since 1992) to successfully defend their crown, matching Real Madrid's historic three-peat between 2016 and 2018. Overall, the French giants are now the 10th club in European Cup history, dating back to the tournament's inception in 1955, to secure back-to-back titles.