Declan Rice has called on Arsenal to regroup and respond after their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
At Wembley, Arsenal were caught off guard by a quickfire double from Nico O’Reilly early in the second half, a decisive blow that ultimately sealed the contest and denied the Gunners their first trophy of the season.
Reacting after the final whistle, Rice admitted the result was difficult to accept but stressed the importance of shifting focus to the challenges still ahead.
“It’s very, very disappointing,” he said afterwards, “very tough. It’s a final you didn’t want to lose but ultimately today we’ve given them the two chances.
“We’ve got to look at ourselves, it could’ve been a different game if we scored that one in the first half.
“There were a lot of positives in the first half. But look, we keep going. A lot of positives to still look forward for the end of the season.”
Despite the setback, Arsenal’s overall campaign remains strong, with the defeat marking just their fourth across all competitions this season: a factor Rice believes makes the loss even harder to take.
“Definitely, it makes it, but look, it’s a final at Wembley, you never want to lose. I know how much it meant to the Arsenal fans today, you could sense that.
“But still now, we have three big competitions to play in. We need to stay positive, stick together and keep going because there’s a lot to play for.”
As the season enters its decisive phase, Rice emphasized the need to maintain momentum, especially with Arsenal still competing on multiple fronts.
“Top of the Premier League, still in the FA Cup, the Champions League. We could have been better today on the day but that’s football.
“Now there’s still so much to look forward to over the next two months. So we keep going, keep fighting for the badge, for the fans and there’s still so much to play for.
“I saw the fans today, how much it meant before the game, them singing for us – I was proud today to be an Arsenal player.
“You could see how much it meant to them to be in the crowd, to come out and support in their numbers across the city, to come here today.
“Obviously, we’re gutted that we let them down because they deserve something.
He continued: “They’ve been with us home and away all season. They never give up, they’re always with us.
“Like I said, it’s disappointing we haven’t won this one. But hopefully, there’s a couple of competitions that we’re able to do well in still.”
All things considered, while the Wembley loss stings, Arsenal’s season remains alive on multiple fronts, and Rice’s message is clear: reset quickly, stay united, and push forward in pursuit of silverware.
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