"Rice" spoke candidly about Chelsea after Arsenal avenged their previous loss to reach the Carabao Cup final.
On 4 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Declan Rice, Arsenal's key midfielder and Premier League leader, gave an interview after the Carabao Cup (League Cup) semi-final second leg, where Arsenal narrowly defeated fellow top-flight team Chelsea 1-0 at home.
This win sent Arsenal to the Carabao Cup final first, with a 4-2 aggregate score over two legs. They are now contenders for their first trophy this season out of four competitions, and their first major title in six years since Mikel Arteta led them to the 2019-20 FA Cup victory.
Declan Rice spoke about Arsenal's fierce battle against Chelsea on the pitch, following their 3-2 away win in the first leg, saying, "Credit must go to Chelsea. Since their new manager arrived, they have played very well, changed their tactics, and made things difficult for us."
"On another night, they might have scored, but credit must also go to our defense, which was incredibly solid. We have a group of players truly hungry for victory. No matter who we face, we are ready."
"When you play against a team like Chelsea, you give everything physically and mentally. You have to be resilient to stay strong and keep pushing forward."
"We deserved to reach a final in the past three or four years. We led the Premier League, competed, and came close to success but fell short. That’s why this season we have even more desire and determination to take the next step in every competition. The journey is still long, but reaching a final with this club is truly incredible."