Quadruple of major trophies no longer just fantasy talk for Arsenal

It’s no longer just a fantasy. A quadruple of major trophies might just be on for Arsenal this season.

Not that the players have time to think about it.

Arsenal reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League by beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Tuesday for a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Mikel Arteta’s team also leads the Premier League by nine points, plays Manchester City in the final of the English League Cup on Sunday and has reached the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.

So, midfielder Declan Rice was asked after the Leverkusen game, how excited is Arsenal getting about the possibility of winning four trophies?

“We don’t actually get too caught up in it because it’s coming thick and fast ... There’s no time to think about what’s going on,” said Rice, one of the scorers against Leverkusen.

“We just keep playing matches and preparing the matches as quick as we can. Momentum and confidence is everything in football, and the more you keep winning, that feel-good factor around the place is obviously really good for everyone.”

Arsenal is getting some fortune with the cup draws, too.

Next up in the Champions League is Sporting Lisbon, which might have completed one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history by beating Bodo-Glint 5-0 to overturn a 3-0 first-leg loss but might prove to be the weakest team in the quarterfinals — at least on paper.

And in the FA Cup, Arsenal was drawn against second-tier Southampton, so is a heavy favorite to get to the semifinals.

As for the League Cup final, City is coming off playing with 10 men against Real Madrid from the 20th minute in its 2-1 loss in the Champions League on Tuesday. Arsenal also has a psychological edge heading to Wembley Stadium after pulling well clear in the Premier League title race in recent weeks.

“We’ve got the momentum — we feel like we can win every match we play,” Rice said. “And that’s a good thing to have at the minute. Confidence is everything in football.”

Rice also had words of praise for Eberechi Eze after his powerfully struck, outside-of-the-area shot opened the scoring against Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium.

The England midfielder is finally establishing himself in the first team after a summer move from Crystal Palace, having learned more about the defensive aspects demanded by Arteta.

“Honestly, he’s frightening,” Rice said. “Around the edge of the box, left foot and right foot, there’s not many players I’ve seen hit the ball better than him.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer