{"id":312,"date":"2026-03-18T06:29:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T06:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=312"},"modified":"2026-03-18T06:29:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T06:29:29","slug":"rice-admits-exhaustion-after-arsenal-reach-ucl-quarters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=312","title":{"rendered":"Rice admits exhaustion after Arsenal reach UCL quarters"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Arsenal marched into the Champions League quarter-finals with a professional 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night. Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice provided the goals that secured safe passage to the last eight.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, Rice\u2019s post-match interview exposed the grueling reality behind Arsenal\u2019s impressive season.<\/p>\n

While the England international celebrated reaching another European milestone, he admitted how the relentless fixture schedule is pushing players to their limits.<\/p>\n

Declan Rice speaks up after Leverkusen game<\/h2>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/p>\n

Rice earned player of the match honors after another commanding display in midfield. His goal capped a performance full of defensive work, progressive passing and tactical intelligence. Yet when the TNT Sports microphone arrived, Rice bypassed the usual clich\u00e9s. His opening line cut straight to the point: \u201cI\u2019m shattered, it\u2019s non stop.\u201d<\/em> The midfielder continued: \u201cWe\u2019re in all the competitions still so it\u2019s been every three days since October.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Few players occupy positions as demanding as Rice\u2019s role in Mikel Arteta\u2019s system.\u00a0The 27-year-old shoulders multiple responsibilities at N5.<\/p>\n

Against Leverkusen, he covered ground relentlessly, making crucial interventions before popping up to finish Arsenal\u2019s second goal. Sustaining that output match after match requires extraordinary physical capacity. Rice\u2019s candid admission suggests even he feels the strain accumulating.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/p>\n

Despite acknowledging the difficulty, Rice emphasized Arsenal\u2019s determination to manage the situation. \u201cWe deal with it the best we can but it\u2019s difficult. We find ways to win and it\u2019s all good,\u201d<\/em> he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone asks where I get my energy from. I just get this second burst of energy,\u201d<\/em> he revealed.<\/p>\n

That second wind has become Rice\u2019s trademark. Late runs into opposition boxes, last-ditch tackles, surging forward carries when teammates tire. His ability to find another gear in critical moments separates good midfielders from elite ones.<\/p>\n

However, even Rice\u2019s remarkable engine has limits. Arteta must manage his minutes carefully to preserve that quality through the season\u2019s decisive weeks.<\/p>\n

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