Declan Rice aims dig at former club Chelsea after helping Arsenal qualify for the UCL final

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has aimed a slight jab at Chelsea after he helped the Gunners to reach the UEFA Champions League final. They claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final.

Rice spoke to Prime Video after the game against the Spanish side, and was asked for his thoughts ahead of facing former club West Ham this weekend in the Premier League. The England international expressed sadness over the club’s relegation worries, pointing out that they made him who he is today when they picked him up after he was released by Chelsea.

“That club gave me everything, without West Ham there’s no me. I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t. A lot of people there really pushed me on so it’s not nice to see the position they’re in. But it’s football and I’ve got a job to do on Sunday. We’re trying to win a Premier League title, we want to win every game and I’m sure they will want to as well so let the best team win”, he said (via metro.co.uk).

West Ham are 18th in the league ahead of the clash at the London Stadium on Sunday against Arsenal, and will hope to boost their chances of survival in the game. They signed Rice after Chelsea let him go at 14, keeping him as he rose through the ranks to become the club’s captain. He led them to the UEFA Conference League title before leaving to join the Gunners in a £105 million move in 2023.

Declan Rice has become one of the best midfielders in world football and a stalwart for club and country over the years. The 27-year-old has played 155 times in three years under Mikel Arteta, with 52 of those games coming this season alone.

Ex-Chelsea star features as Arsenal eliminate Atletico Madrid from UCL

Former Chelsea winger Noni Madueke was in action for Arsenal as they claimed a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League clash. The Gunners booked their place in the final of the competition following a 2-1 aggregate win over the LaLiga side.

Madueke started on the bench for Mikel Arteta’s side as Bukayo Saka made only his second start since March. He was brought in shortly before the hour mark for his 39th appearance across all competitions this season, and helped his side close out the game.

Saka scored the game’s only goal on the stroke of half-time, giving Arsenal a lead they never relinquished. The Gunners have reached a first Champions League final in 20 years, becoming the fifth English club after Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur to reach the final in that time.