Stunning Declan Rice double sees Gunners stun Real Madrid
ROCKET: Arsenal's Declan Rice scores their side's first goal of the game. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.r.
“DECLAN RICE, we got him half-price,” sang Arsenal's joyous fans as their €100m Euro man fired them to a famous victory over Real Madrid, the team formerly known as Kings of Europe.
Arsenal can start to dream of taking over their title as they take a 3-0 lead to the Bernabeu Stadium's for next week's second leg, on a night of high-drama when Rice scored two world-class free-kicks and Mikel Merino added a third in a 17-minute spell midway through the second-half that blew away Kylian Mbappe and Co.
Mikel Arteta declared before kick-off that this was the biggest game of his life as a manager, and even he could hardly have believed it would end with such a convincing win for his men especially after a fairly even first-half.
When the team news dropped, it is fair to say there was relief among Arsenal fans that Bukayo Saka was fit to start, but consternation that Jakub Kiwior rather than Ben White had been selected to fill the gap left in central defence by Gabriel's injury.
The Pole has failed to nail down a regular spot, but with Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori both injured, was asked by Mikel Arteta to step in against arguably the world's most potent front four. Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo would can cause the best of defences problems, let alone one weakened by key absences.
And it did not look great for Kiwior when he made a mistake in the first minute, failing to cut out a simple throw from David Alaba that let in Mbappe. Fortunately for Arsenal, the Frenchman's long range shot lacked real power and was straight at David Raya.
Saka then won a free-kick on the right, but it came to nothing, and seconds later Vinicius Junior broke dangerously, only for Jurrien Timber to cut out his attempted pass to Mbappe in front of goal.
So the pattern was set for a first-half full of sound and fury but amounting to little. Saka kept firing the ball in from the right wing but with no recognised central striker, there was no end result. Madrid were content to keep possession deep in their own half and break quickly when chances arose, with Mbappe seizing on the tiniest of mistakes with lightning speed.
When Jude Bellingham robbed Timber on the halfway line, he sent Mbappe clean through on goal with a defence-splitting pass, but the Frenchman curled his shot straight into Raya's arms. Vinicius Junior curled one shot wide of the far post, Eduardo Camavinga fired over from 25 yards and Mbappe missed before being flagged offside.
For the opening hour, Merino toiled manfully without reward as an impromptu number nine, with one first-half header forcing a decent save from Thibaut Courtois, who blocked Gabriel Martinelli's follow-up shot, too.
Thomas Partey had a long shot saved, and then Saka twice fired in teasing low crosses that no-one could convert.
It was frustrating stuff, and the first-half ended goalless, with honours even.
But everything changed after half-time. In the 57th minute, Saka ran infield from the right, going nowhere in particular. But David Alaba brought him down 25 yards from goal in a central position. Rice and Saka deliberated over the free-kick while Courtois lined up a four-man wall in front of him. No barriers Madrid put up could stop Rice, though. He ran up with determination and struck the ball perfectly with his right boot, curling it round the outside of wall and well inside the near post.
It was a stunning strike and the Emirates crowd erupted in joy, save for the small band of Madridistas at one corner of the Clock End.
Real were rattled and Carlo Ancelotti was at the edge of his technical area gesturing for his players to calm down, but Arsenal had their tails up now, and Courtois was suddenly under an extended bombardment. He made a brilliant triple save in the 67th minute to keep out one shot from Martinelli and two from Merino in quick succession.
Bellingham then had to clear a Rice shot off the line, before the Arsenal man scored an even better free-kick than his first. Once again it was Saka who was fouled, Camavinga's offence earning him a yellow card that will keep him out of next week's second leg in Madrid. Worryingly for Arsenal, however, Saka limped off soon afterwards, which may put his participation at risk next week too.
But Arsenal will take a three-goal lead into the Bernabeu, after Merino finally struck gold in the 75th minute. Patient build-up play on the left created space for Myles Lewis-Skelly, who rolled the ball into Merino's path for the Spaniard to hit a thundering first-time foot with his left foot iinto the far corner of goal.
Arsenal fans were in dreamland now, scarcely able to believe their side were able to beat European royalty with such apparent ease.
Even in the closing stages, the Gunners never relented, with substitute Kieran Tierney earning huge cheers for harrying the Madrid defence as they tried to play their way back, and even in stoppage time Vinicius Junior's goalbound shot was blocked by an outstretched leg.
Camavinga ended a miserable night for Madrid on a low point, getting a second yellow card – and thus a red – for kicking the ball away in the final minute of stoppage time.
Nothing can be taken for granted, and Real Madrid have proven over the years to be masters of the comeback, finding ways to win games that looked lost.
But there is no disputing who will be the happiest manager going into next week's second leg, with Arteta on the brink of leading Arsenal to glory.
Raya 7; Timber 7 (White 90+1), Saliba 7, Kiwior 6, Lewis-Skelly 7; Odegaard 8, Partey 7, Rice 9 (Tierney 79); Saka 8 (Trossard 73), Merino 6, Martinelli 6
: 4-3-3 Courtois 8; Valverde 6, Asencio 6, Rudiger 5, Alaba 6 (Garcia 79); Camavinga 6, Modric 6, Bellingham 6; Rodrygo 5 (Diaz 85), Mbappe 7, Vinicius Junior 6
Irfan Peljto 8/10
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