In a seismic night at Emirates Stadium, Declan Rice’s double rocket sinks Real Madrid to send Arsenal to dreamland.
A Seismic Night at Emirates Stadium: Declan Rice‘s Double Rocket Sinks Real Madrid
Declan Rice curls in the first of two stunning free-kicks to give Arsenal the lead at Emirates Stadium.
Declan Rice is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club West Ham United and the England national team.
Born on January 14, 1999, in London, England, he rose to prominence after joining West Ham's academy at the age of six.
Rice made his professional debut in 2017 and quickly established himself as a key player for both club and country.
The Champions League holders, 15-time winners with a patent on voodoo-style comebacks, were never wise to write off this team. On a red-letter night for Arsenal, one that will fire dreams of ultimate triumph, their key midfielder brought the house down to Real Madrid’s knees.
Rice had never previously scored from a direct free-kick in his nine-season professional career. He did it twice inside 12 golden seconds and against Thibaut Courtois, arguably the best goalkeeper in Europe. Both were marked by precision, a total mastery of the flight and swerve; each one into the same side of the net from a little over 25 yards out.
“Make it happen,” read the wording on a pre-match tifo.
The second goal had grown men and women rubbing their eyes, Rice jumping on top of an advertising board, literally 10 feet tall after picking out the far top corner. There would be even more for Arsenal. The outstanding Myles Lewis-Skelly was involved, playing the final pass after yet another incision, and there was Mikel Merino to sweep home for 3-0.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional football club based in Islington, London.
Founded in 1886 as Dial Square, the club was renamed Royal Arsenal in 1893 and finally Arsenal in 1914.
The team has a rich history, having won 13 League titles, 14 FA Cups, and 2 League Cups.
They have also participated in European competitions, including the UEFA Champions League.
The club is known for its iconic red and white colors and its home stadium, Emirates Stadium.
Madrid would finish with 10 men, Eduardo Camavinga sent off for kicking the ball away – a second bookable offence, their implosion complete. It was one of the finest nights of Arsenal’s history and one that Rice will cherish forever.
For Arsenal, this was a seismic occasion, the club’s biggest game surely since 2009-10 when they faced Barcelona in the quarter-final of this competition and lost. The ensuing years have not been kind to Arsenal in terms of the Champions League, although they did reach the quarter-final last season where they fell to Bayern Munich. How they have craved a night of this type.
Mikel Arteta had called it the biggest game of his coaching career, and nobody was about to argue. He wanted the home crowd to bring the intensity, and there were goosebumps rising on arms around the stadium before kick-off, the fireworks going off, the volume turned up to maximum.
Mikel Arteta is a Spanish professional footballer and current manager of Arsenal FC.
Born on March 26, 1982, in San Sebastián, 'Spain' , he began his playing career at Barcelona's youth academy before joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta played for several clubs, including Real Sociedad, Everton, and Arsenal, where he won two FA Cups.
He earned 15 caps for the Spanish national team between 2005 and 2014.
Arsenal pressed hard onto the front foot at the outset, giving everything. It was easy to marvel at Madrid’s threat on the counter, the sheer speed of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. But Arteta‘s players seemed intent on answering the call from their fans. Jurriën Timber was in the mood from right-back while Myles Lewis-Skelly stepped up into midfield from the other full-back position, looking to be the spark, fizzing his low searching passes.
A player this young really ought not to be this composed. Arsenal almost got one of their trademark inswinging corners to work in the early going, Thomas Partey rising and Thibaut Courtois losing his bearings in a crowded area. The goalkeeper was fortunate that the ball hit William Saliba, who was almost on the line in front of goal. Would it have gone in without his intervention?
The second half saw Arsenal sense blood and Courtois, so often the Madrid saviour, being called upon to keep his team in it. He saved from Martinelli and after Mikel Merino‘s follow-up was cleared off the line by Alaba, the goalkeeper turned over when Merino shot again. Moments later, Bellingham needed to clear a Rice shot off the line.
The second goal had grown men and women rubbing their eyes, Rice jumping on top of an advertising board, literally 10 feet tall after picking out the far top corner. There would be even more for Arsenal. The outstanding Myles Lewis-Skelly was involved, playing the final pass after yet another incision, and there was Mikel Merino to sweep home for 3-0.
Madrid would finish with 10 men, Eduardo Camavinga sent off for kicking the ball away – a second bookable offence, their implosion complete. It was one of the finest nights of Arsenal’s history and one that Rice will cherish forever.
The final whistle blew, and it was clear: this was one night that Arsenal would never forget.
