Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has admitted that it was painful to see teammates Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes miss their penalty kicks in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.

The final ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Kai Havertz’s early strike cancelled out by Ousmane Dembele’s equaliser, forcing the match into a penalty shootout.

PSG eventually retained their Champions League title after Eze and Gabriel failed to convert their spot-kicks, handing the French side victory.

Reacting after the match, Rice described the experience as difficult but stressed that missed penalties are part of the game.

“Missing a penalty in a Champions League final isn’t nice. But we love them. Look, that happens in football,” he said.

He added that the players should not be defined by the misses, noting that such setbacks are common even at the highest level.

“They aren’t going to be the last players to miss a penalty in finals. Everyone has missed a penalty,” Rice said.

Rice also highlighted the importance of both players to Arsenal’s season, insisting their contributions had been crucial to the team’s success.

“Without them two this season, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League. It’s cruel, but we take the positives,” he added.