Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice couldn’t hide his excitement after the club’s 3–1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich, taking a moment to heap praise on summer signing Martin Zubimendi. As reported by Fabrizio Romano via his official X account.
He said:
Declan Rice: Zubimendi is Spain’s number 6; they are the best. He’s an unbelievable player. That’s exactly what we’ve got with him. We all trust him with the ball. Give him the ball, and you all feel so confident with him. So he’s been so, so good for us.
Rice described Zubimendi as an unbelievable player, and honestly, it didn’t feel like any exaggeration watching how calm the Spaniard was on the ball. He added that the team trusts Zubimendi completely.
Rice genuinely feels more comfortable and secure in midfield because Zubimendi is so reliable on the ball. His presence makes the whole team calmer, and Rice believes he can play with more freedom since he trusts Zubimendi to handle pressure and keep things steady.
The win itself was another big moment for Arsenal’s season. Bayern arrived at the Emirates with a perfect Champions League record, but that didn’t last long.
Zubimendi helped win the corner that Jurrien Timber headed in, a moment that lifted the whole stadium. Bayern did respond through Lennart Karl, but Arsenal came out in the second half looking sharper and quicker in front of goal.
Softfootball understands that substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli made the difference late on, scoring the goals that sealed the 3–1 victory against Bayern Munich and sent Arsenal to the top of the Champions League table. And for Rice, the win was another reminder of why Zubimendi’s arrival might be one of the most important moves the club made this season.
