Declan Rice on how Mikel Arteta is getting the best out of him at Arsenal ahead of Champions League semi-final second leg | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is backing himself to produce another “magical moment” to send the Gunners into the Champions League final.

Arsenal are looking to bounce back from 1-0 down against Paris St. Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, following their first-leg defeat.

Rice scored two stunning free-kicks in the first leg of Arsenal’s quarter-final against Real Madrid and the Englishman says his team have full belief of completing a turnaround.

“Nothing changes, it’s a semi-final, 90 minutes minutes away from a final, I think that tells you everything you need to know,” he said.

“The manager has spoken to us, we know what we can achieve tomorrow night. It is a game of football, we can go out there and we can achieve something great for this club and that is what we want to do.”

Rice continued: “We know we are 1-0 down but we have full belief, full positivity that we are going to go out there and win.”

Rice has taken up a new role this season in the number eight position, and he thinks that the change is bringing the best out of him.

“I have seen players like Frank Lampard back in the day, how they used to move around in the box, get away from their opponents and score but playing in this eight role under Mikel Arteta is different,” Rice explained.

“I am not always in the box, it is a bit more of a box-to-box role, having to play in pockets, dropping deep depending on what the opposition do.

“I am thoroughly enjoying it, it is a completely different role to what I am used to and I think you are starting to see the best of me and what I can do. I am happy I can showcase that.”

Rice believes that Arsenal will need a “magic moment” to turn the tie around, like his two free-kicks against Madrid.

“The manager calls the two free kicks against Real Madrid magic moments, he always talks about them,” he said.

“In that game against Madrid I was able to produce two free kicks which were incredible.

“Tomorrow night, a semi-final, it is set up for someone else to get that magic moment – hopefully it is me again but you are going to need a moment of magic to win a game.”