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Arsenal midfield star Declan Rice has offered words of comfort to his team-mates Gabriel and Eberechi Eze after the Gunners’ painful Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

The North London side suffered a dramatic defeat in Budapest on Saturday night, losing 4-3 on penalties to PSG after an intense 1-1 draw at the Puskas Arena.

Gabriel missed Arsenal’s crucial fifth penalty, sending the ball over the bar when he needed to score to keep the shootout alive. The pressure was already high after his Brazil national team colleague, PSG defender Lucas Beraldo, had converted his spot-kick moments earlier.

Earlier in the shootout, Arsenal had fallen behind when Eberechi Eze pushed his second penalty attempt wide of the post. However, goalkeeper David Raya immediately restored hope by saving Nuno Mendes’ subsequent penalty for PSG.

Viktor Gyokeres, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli all found the net from the spot for Arsenal, while Goncalo Ramos, Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi were successful for PSG.

Both Eze and Gabriel faced criticism from pundits for their penalty techniques, as each used a stutter-step approach before missing the target.

Speaking after the match, Declan Rice stood by his team-mates and shared how they were feeling following the heartbreaking defeat.

“[They are] devastated,” said the England international in an interview with TNT Sports. “Obviously, missing a penalty in a Champions League final is a horrible feeling.

“We love them, we’re behind them. These things happen in football. They’re not the first or the last players to miss penalties in a final.

“Everyone’s missed a penalty at some point, and without those two this season, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s certain. Gabriel has been incredible — both as a person and a player.

“Eze has scored some massive goals for us this season. It’s tough, football can be cruel, but we’ll take the positives and move forward.”

Reflecting on the overall result, Rice added: “It’s heartbreaking. Losing a Champions League final on penalties is devastating. But I’m trying to look at how far we’ve come as a team.

“It’s been a remarkable season. We gave absolutely everything and took the game to penalties. At that point, it’s a lottery — that’s football.

“Some of the greatest teams in history have lost on penalties, and tonight it was our turn. We win together, we lose together, and I couldn’t be prouder of this group.

“I can’t praise everyone enough. I’m gutted, but with perspective, it’s been an incredible journey. We’ll come back stronger.”