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Key quotes after Arsenal swept aside holders Real Madrid and Inter Milan held off Bayern Munich in the second legs of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties on Wednesday:

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition: we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.

“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win. What a night for the club!” – Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to TNT Sports

“The history we have in this competition is so short. It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reach the semi-finals). So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined. And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.” – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

“It’s a difficult moment… it was a difficult game, we didn’t have all the chances we would have liked.” – Madrid midfielder Lucas Vazquez to Movistar

“We didn’t have the accuracy up front, I don’t think (David) Raya had a save to make. We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it” – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

“We’ll remember this for a long time.” – Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to Amazon Prime

“We’re disappointed. I gave everything, we gave everything. I think Inter’s second goal in the first leg was decisive. The fans saw that we gave everything. It’s a pity for us because the final was in Munich, but the Champions League is not a picnic.” – Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller to DAZN

“That’s football, that’s life. In two months we have the Club World Cup and we’ll try to win another title. Of course it’s bitter that we’re out, but we had our chances.”  – Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany

Key quotes after Arsenal swept aside holders Real Madrid and Inter Milan held off Bayern Munich in the second legs of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties on Wednesday:

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition: we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.

“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win. What a night for the club!” – Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to TNT Sports

“The history we have in this competition is so short. It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reach the semi-finals). So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined. And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.” – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

“It’s a difficult moment… it was a difficult game, we didn’t have all the chances we would have liked.” – Madrid midfielder Lucas Vazquez to Movistar

“We didn’t have the accuracy up front, I don’t think (David) Raya had a save to make. We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it” – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

“We’ll remember this for a long time.” – Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to Amazon Prime

“We’re disappointed. I gave everything, we gave everything. I think Inter’s second goal in the first leg was decisive. The fans saw that we gave everything. It’s a pity for us because the final was in Munich, but the Champions League is not a picnic.” – Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller to DAZN

“That’s football, that’s life. In two months we have the Club World Cup and we’ll try to win another title. Of course it’s bitter that we’re out, but we had our chances.”  – Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany

Arsenal dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent the Gunners into the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks, laid the foundations in London.

But a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday was a coming-of-age performance for Mikel Arteta’s rising stars.

Arteta’s only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, just months into his reign.

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

“I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,” said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club record £105 million ($139 million) in 2023.

“This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager – he’s unbelievable!”

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Between 2000 and 2017, they never failed to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

But they spent six years without Champions League football when that run ended.

Slowly, Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him.

Saka’s early spot-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Madrid belief another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian ‘keeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.

William Saliba blotted what was an otherwise flawless display over two legs to shut down his French international team-mate Kylian Mbappe moments later as Vinicius Junior pounced to bring Real level.

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

 Rice ‘immense’

But even then, Arsenal were unflustered and quickly snuffed out any Madrid momentum.

Full-backs Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo out wide.

And Rice won the midfield battle against his England team-mate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that saw him crowned man of the match in both legs.

“Tonight he was immense,” said Arteta. “In the moment that the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game.”

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have fallen just short to an all-conquering Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the major piece of silverware that his project is still missing.

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club,” added Rice.

“We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”

One of Arteta’s former clubs as a player, Paris Saint-Germain, await in the last four of a wide-open competition.

None of the clubs remaining have won the competition for at least a decade as Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semi-final.

“It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reaching the semi-finals),” added Arteta.

“So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined.

“And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.”

Arsenal dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent the Gunners into the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks, laid the foundations in London.

But a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday was a coming-of-age performance for Mikel Arteta’s rising stars.

Arteta’s only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, just months into his reign.

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

“I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,” said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club record £105 million ($139 million) in 2023.

“This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager – he’s unbelievable!”

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Between 2000 and 2017, they never failed to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

But they spent six years without Champions League football when that run ended.

Slowly, Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him.

Saka’s early spot-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Madrid belief another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian ‘keeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.

William Saliba blotted what was an otherwise flawless display over two legs to shut down his French international team-mate Kylian Mbappe moments later as Vinicius Junior pounced to bring Real level.

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

 Rice ‘immense’

But even then, Arsenal were unflustered and quickly snuffed out any Madrid momentum.

Full-backs Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo out wide.

And Rice won the midfield battle against his England team-mate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that saw him crowned man of the match in both legs.

“Tonight he was immense,” said Arteta. “In the moment that the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game.”

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have fallen just short to an all-conquering Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the major piece of silverware that his project is still missing.

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club,” added Rice.

“We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”

One of Arteta’s former clubs as a player, Paris Saint-Germain, await in the last four of a wide-open competition.

None of the clubs remaining have won the competition for at least a decade as Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semi-final.

“It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reaching the semi-finals),” added Arteta.

“So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined.

“And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.”