Arsenal have it all to do in the Champions League semi-final second leg next week after losing 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal conceded what turned out to be the only goal of the game on the night after just four minutes.
Ousmane Dembele combined well with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who set up the Frenchman with a delivery that he expertly curled home from inside the box.
Arsenal worked hard in pursuit of an equaliser but were denied by a well-drilled PSG outfit along with an in-form Gianluigi Donnarumma in between the sticks.
Declan Rice, the hero of the quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, didn’t have quite the same impact this time round.
The French media delivered their verdict on Rice after the game.
French media deliver mixed reaction on Declan Rice display for Arsenal against PSG
The French media’s reaction on Rice’s display was fairly mixed, with some saying he wasn’t very effective and others saying he made a good impact.
“His match had started terribly,” began Footmercato, who gave Rice a rating of 6 out of 10.
“The English international being very late to come out on Dembele, allowing the Frenchman to beat Raya for the Parisian opening goal.
“Probably his only error, since he was then the only one of the midfield duo to respond to the physical intensity imposed by PSG.
“Rice even took the free kicks in the second half, with success seeing as he placed a cake on the head of Merino as soon as the locker room returned (47th).
“A few minutes later, he perfectly set up Trossard after a monumental work in the center (56th).”
Meanwhile, Maxifoot awarded Rice a 5.5 out of 10 for his efforts on the night.
“Returning to his sentinel role in the absence of Partey, who was suspended, the Arsenal midfielder had a much less significant impact,” they wrote.
“In the opening action, the Englishman was also late to Dembele… In recovery, he struggled to disrupt the Parisian attacks.
“However, with the ball, the former West Ham talent was able to thwart the Parisian pressure and was capable of a great breakthrough to allow Trossard to have a chance in the second half.”
Meanwhile, OneFootball’s French site gave Rice a 7 out of 10.
“Very valuable when he carries the ball and breaks lines,” they wrote. “Even if it took time to adapt with Merino.”
The stats Declan Rice registered against PSG
There’s certainly a case to be made for Rice having been out of position for Dembele’s early goal.
However, the £105million man improved as the game went on and his influence grew as he made some superb driving runs with the ball.
| Declan Rice stats v PSG | |
| Accurate passes | 50/55 (91%) |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Long balls (accurate) | 9 (7) |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Shots blocked | 1 |
| Dribble attempts (successful) | 1 (1) |
| Ground duels (won) | 8 (7) |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Total tackles | 5 |
Rice clocked up some solid stats on the night, such as a 91 percent pass rate, two key passes, and seven accurate long balls out of nine.
Rice also created one big chance, saw one shot blocked, completed the one dribble he attempted, won an impressive seven ground duels and chipped in with five tackles and an interception.
While Rice impressed, fellow midfielder Martin Odegaard struggled on the night as Arsenal fans slated his display.
