Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta couldn’t believe Declan Rice’s stunning free-kick double that downed Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg. England ace Rice scored two stunning set-pieces – the first of his career – within a 12-minute period in the second half.
Those strikes, plus Mikel Merino’s excellent left foot finish, handed the Premier League side a 3-0 victory and put them in pole position to reach the semi-finals and KO the holders.
Before Tuesday night, Rice had never scored from a direct free-kick in 338 professional appearances. Remarkably, Arsenal had also failed to find the net from a direct set-piece in almost four years, with their last coming against Burnley in September 2021 from captain Martin Odegaard. When Rice’s second hit the net, Odegaard put his hands on his head in disbelief.
And that disbelief was matched by Arteta, who exclaimed: “What are the odds!?”
Arteta said: “Declan’s been very determined because we have said in the last few months that we have not scored a direct free-kick in three-and-half years.
“So, to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude and of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career.
“This night was all about two factors; one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off with something I haven’t seen before. And then the magic, the individual moments that decide all matches. And the first two goals from Declan sums up the night.”
The victory was Arsenal’s best at the Emirates Stadium, the second-half proving to be a truly one-sided demolition of the 15-time European champions.
Arteta added: “When you have not played against this team for the past 20 years, and not had a proper run in this competition, you have to be prepared to write your own history, and it is on nights like this where you can do that. We did that but we have a lot more to give.”
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti insists his side must respond at the Bernabeu next week and have to believe they can still reach the final four.
“If you look at the game tonight there is no possibility (of a comeback at the Bernabeu) – but nobody expected Rice would score two goals from set-pieces, so in football anything can happen,” said the Italian.
“The possibility is low but we have to try 100 per cent, and do all we can. It is an opportunity to show a response to a poor game.”
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