Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid: Sublime Declan Rice free-kicks inspire famous Gunners victory

Arsenal produced an emphatic second-half showing in north London to put themselves in a commanding position ahead of next Wednesday's trip to Madrid.

Match in brief: Rice stars in stunning Arsenal win

Arsenal celebrate the opening goalArsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal controlled the early exchanges, and came close twice in quick succession in the 13th minute, Declan Rice having an effort blocked by Raúl Asencio before Thibaut Courtois parried Thomas Partey’s low strike.

The tempo only increased as the half went on and decisive goalkeeping interventions were required at either end, David Raya saving from Kylian Mbappé at close range and Courtois keeping out a Rice header and a Gabriel Martinelli follow-up with an eye-catching double save.

With both goalkeepers in fine form, it seemed that only a moment of outstanding quality would break the deadlock as the second half began, and it was Arsenal who found it in the 58th minute. Twice denied by Courtois before the break, Rice's ferocious free-kick left the Real Madrid goalkeeper helpless as it curled inside the post.

Declan Rice curls in his first free-kickGetty Images

The Arsenal pressure continued to mount with four efforts blocked in quick succession, and Rice was presented with another opportunity to take aim from a free-kick in the 70th minute.

Having sounded their enthusiasm for his first effort, Rice gave the home crowd further cause for celebration as he arrowed another sublime strike into the far right corner to double the Arsenal lead, then extended further as Mikel Merino finished expertly from a Myles Lewis-Skelly pass in the 75th minute.

Mikel Merino adds Arsenal's thirdAFP via Getty Images

The visitors were then dealt another setback four minutes into added time when Eduardo Camavinga was shown a second yellow card.

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Declan Rice with his Player of the Match awardUEFA via Getty Images

"It was a great performance from the midfielder. He scored two fantastic free-kicks when they were needed most and what a stage to do it on. His stamina and power helped Arsenal play an electric second half. Rice's movements between the lines were good and he combined well with Martinelli on the left."
UEFA Technical Observer Group

Joe Terry, match reporter

That was, by some distance, the best performance Arsenal have produced this season, against the toughest of opposition and on the hardest of stages. In the first half they set a pace that Madrid struggled to deal with. Most sides are unable to stay at that tempo, but the Gunners actually increased their intensity in the second half. The goals were all a product of the unrelenting forward momentum Mikel Arteta's players put into their game.

Reaction

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach: "We had a very complete and big performance collectively. This night is also about two other factors; the atmosphere that we created even before kick-off, which I haven't seen before, and then magic individual moments that decide football matches. Declan's first two goals sum up the night."

Declan Rice, Arsenal midfielder: "I just had the confidence to hit it [the second free-kick]. It's not hit me yet, because there's the second leg to go and I'm excited, [but I'm] happy, over the moon. In a few years' time, I think this will hit that what I did tonight was really special."

Mikel Merino, Arsenal midfielder: "We were talking in the dressing room about keeping the pace and tempo. Obviously with the help of the crowd on our side, that second half was amazing. We started full gas from the beginning. When this team goes like this, the crowd comes with us and it makes everything easier."

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "When it was 0-0, I was satisfied but then the reaction [to conceding] was very poor. It's something that we've had all season. We tried to keep a compact shape, that gave us some good moments but we also had some poor moments today."

Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid midfielder: "There is a second leg, that's the thing we're holding on to. We're going to need something unbelievably special, something crazy – but if there's one place where crazy things can happen, it's our house."

The Arsenal goalscorers embrace at full-timeUEFA via Getty Images

Key stats

• Declan Rice has scored four goals in Arsenal's last three home Champions League matches.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in 17 home European matches and have only lost one of their last 14 games at home to Spanish teams (W8 D5)
• The Gunners have lost only one of their 11 Champions League matches this season (W8 D2).
• At 18 years 194 days Myles Lewis-Skelly became the second youngest English player to start a Champions League quarter-final, behind only Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, who lined up for Dortmund at 17 years 281 days in 2021.
• Luka Modrić, who started in midfield, made his 133rd appearance for Real Madrid in the Champions League proper. He is now joint-second with Karim Benzema on the club's all-time list, behind only Iker Casillas (150).

Fantasy star performers

Declan Rice: 18 points
Myles Lewis-Skelly: 10 points
William Saliba: 9 points

Line-ups

Arsenal: Raya; Timber (White 90+1), Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice (Tierney 80); Saka (Trossard 74), Merino, Martinelli

Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Raúl Asencio, Rüdiger, Alaba (Fran García 79); Modrić (Lucas Vázquez 71), Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo (Brahim Díaz 85), Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior