Arsenal on the improve, says Rice

Arsenal assistant manager Pat Rice said their season is gaining momentum after they drew with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Rice stood in for Arsene Wenger on the touchline during Tuesday’s Group F encounter at Signal Iduna Park, as the Frenchman is serving a ban for breaching UEFA rules in their play-off clash with Udinese.

Robin van Persie’s first-half goal looked to have secured the win for Arsenal until Ivan Perisic equalised with a superb volley two minutes from time to deny the visitors.

But Rice was buoyed by the performance against the Bundesliga champions.

“It feels from our, and definitely from my point of view, that the season is just starting,” Rice told Sky Sports.

“Things are quieting down, there is a buzz in the dressing room, because there was uncertainty beforehand. The players are looking forward to playing.”

“The players who have come in (during the transfer period), contrary to what other people think, are bloody good players.”

Despite taking a lead into half-time, Arsenal were put under sustained pressure in the opening 45 minutes, and Rice was surprised by the Gunners’ struggles in midfield early on.

“We had to be a little bit better in the middle of the park (in the first half), we gave the ball away a little bit too much which is unusual for us,” Rice said.

“But the goal that they got, it was similar to the boy (Danny) Rose’s at Tottenham (against Arsenal). You could hit that shot 50 times and 50 times it would go over the bar. It was a great goal.”

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny reiterated Rice’s comments, saying that he was helpless in saving the wonder strike.

“Sometimes they go in from 20 yards, you can’t do much about it. I didn’t move. I had no chance,” Szczesny told Sky Sports.

Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp said it was only fair his side equalised late, give their dominance for large periods in both halves.

“A great justice was done today. In football, this is not always so,” Klopp said, according to German sports magazine Kicker.

“For more than 90 minutes we played a really great game. We did not show (Arsenal) too much respect; we were brave, and we were rewarded at the end.”