\n<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta admitted the plan at Arsenal was always to have centre-back, Gabriel Magalhaes, take the fifth and usually decisive penalty kick in the Champions League final, while Declan Rice sent messages to the Brazilian and Eberechi Eze.<\/p>\n
Arsenal<\/strong> fell agonisingly short in their quest to win their first ever European Cup\/Champions League when losing to PSG on penalties.<\/p>\n David Raya saved one of the five spot kicks he faced, but his efforts proved insufficient when both Eze<\/strong> and Gabriel<\/strong> missed the target altogether with their own efforts.<\/p>\n Gabriel will have been a surprise choice in many people\u2019s minds for the pressure-packed fifth penalty.<\/p>\n Clubs generally put their best penalty takers either first of fifth in the order, and Gabriel has never taken a penalty outside of a shoot-out in his professional career.<\/p>\n Yet speaking post-match and in quotes carried by Fabrizio Romano<\/em>Arsenal boss Arteta<\/strong> claimed the plan was always for Gabriel to take the glory kick in the shoot-out.<\/p>\n \u201cGabriel wanted to take the last penalty,\u201d he said. \u201cWe trained for that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunners midfielder Rice<\/strong> revealed Gabriel and Eze are understandably \u201cdevastated\u201d after their respective misses in Budapest.<\/p>\n Accordingly, Rice publicly supported the pair and insisted that without the duo, Arsenal wouldn\u2019t have enjoyed the incredible season they have which let\u2019s not forget, did deliver their Premier League title since 2004.<\/p>\n He said: \u201c(They are) devastated to miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it\u2019s not nice.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we love them and we\u2019re with them. It happens in football. They\u2019re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn\u2019t have won the Premier League, that\u2019s for sure. Gabriel, I\u2019ve ran out of words for him as a person as a player.<\/p>\n \u201cEze has had some crucial goals for us this season. It happens, It\u2019s football and it\u2019s cruel. We take positives and we keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365\u2026<\/strong> On tasting defeat in the biggest game of his career, Rice said:\u00a0\u201cYeah, it\u2019s gutting, it\u2019s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties.<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to take perspective on how far we\u2019ve come as a group. Incredible season, gave it absolutely everything, we took the game to penalties. It\u2019s a lottery, It\u2019s football.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can either win or lose on penalties. Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties and we were on the receiving end of that tonight. We win together, we lose together, I\u2019m so proud of these boys. I can\u2019t speak highly enough of everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m obviously gutted but I\u2019m trying to take perspective. It\u2019s been an incredible journey this season. We will be back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\nArsenal \u2018trained\u2019 for Gabriel taking fifth penalty \u2013 Arteta<\/strong><\/h2>\n
* Mikel Arteta thinks Arsenal were robbed in Champions League final<\/strong>
* French reporter makes \u2018inevitable\u2019 Arsenal claim after Champions League heartbreak<\/strong>
* Luis Enrique reacts honestly to Arsenal tactics after PSG win back-to-back Champions Leagues<\/strong><\/p>\n