Rice: At this point I was confident of our victory against Atlético Madrid

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice confirmed he is confident of beating Atletico Madrid and reaching the Champions League final after team-mate Bukayo Saka put them ahead.

Rice produced a superb performance that earned him the Marie Award in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory in the Champions League semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

The first leg, played last week at the Metropolitano Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Arsenal progressing to the final 2-1 on aggregate and awaiting the winner of the Bayern Munich-Paris Saint-Germain match.

“There is an atmosphere of chaos (celebrations in the dressing room). I don’t think anyone is underestimating what we’ve achieved in this tournament so far. I think we have every right to celebrate this moment. It is the most important and popular tournament in club football. We’re just trying to absorb it all.

He added: “We knew before the game how big the challenge was. If you’re not ready for a match like this, you won’t be ready for a football match. When we were leading by a goal, I was sure we would win. I felt that something special was forming inside me.”

Of his midfield partnership with Miles Lewis Skell in the last two games, Rice explained: “We always knew what Miles was capable of. I remember last year when he played a lot of matches. He played against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last year when he was eighteen. I said to myself. “What kind of player is he?”

He continued. “The coach (Arteta) was strict with him behind the scenes. He kept his focus and worked hard. He comes early, works out in the gym and does his best. It was no surprise to me that he jumped into this challenge and gave this great performance.

Regarding Arsenal’s development, Rice commented: “The way this club has come over the past few years is amazing. The coach was in complete control. We kept building and we kept motivating each other. This tournament and the Premier League. We did everything we could. We found ourselves in good shape with a month to go. Sunday is now a crucial day (the West Ham match).

The English star continued. “We overcame a somewhat difficult stage. We went through a period where we weren’t performing at our best. We were a little bit off in our performance, but we found a new way to play again.”

He noted: “When you are confident in football, everything becomes possible. I know everyone is focused.”

“If it wasn’t for West Ham, I wouldn’t be. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t. It’s sad to see their current state (close to collapse). This is soccer and I have a task to accomplish on Sunday. This is the crucial stage of the season.

Read also: Analysis. Arteta’s bets beat Arsenal… and Simeone kills Atletico Madrid.