Rice rockets Arsenal to glory as Real Madrid crumble heavily in London

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Declan Rice delivered a jaw-dropping performance on home turf, scoring two sensational free kicks as a rampant Arsenal side humiliated European giants Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.

It was a night of fireworks in North London, and Rice lit the fuse with a midfield masterclass, netting twice in ten minutes to spearhead the Gunners’ ruthless second-half onslaught.

The £105 million man reminded the football world why he commands such value, bending in a 58th-minute free kick past Thibaut Courtois to open the floodgates.

If that wasn’t enough, Rice repeated the trick with a thunderous effort into the top corner in the 70th minute, leaving Courtois rooted and the Emirates in raptures. The England international’s brace sent a clear message: Arsenal mean business.

Mikel Merino, making only his second appearance in red and white, capped the dominant display five minutes later with a stunning strike from the edge of the box to seal the Spanish giants’ embarrassment.

Real Madrid had their chances in the first half—with Kylian Mbappe denied by a flying David Raya save and Courtois pulling off heroics to stop both Rice and Gabriel Martinelli in quick succession—but Arsenal’s intensity proved overwhelming after the break.

VAR drama briefly interrupted the first half when referee Irfan Peljto reviewed a possible Arsenal penalty in the 14th minute, but no infringement was found.

Still, the decision didn’t derail Arsenal’s momentum, as they maintained control with slick passing and relentless pressure.

Arteta’s men looked razor-sharp, composed, and fearless. And at the heart of it all stood Rice, the midfield titan who stole the show and left Madrid chasing shadows.