Chelsea star Cole Palmer and West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen reacted to Declan Rice after he and Arsenal stunned Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Los Meringues, the eternal stumbling block for any club chasing Champions League glory, were bested by the injury-hit Gunners on Tuesday evening (8 April), following two sumptuous free kicks from Rice.
The Englishman, not always known for his goal-scoring exploits, scored the first and second set-piece goals of his career.
As if possessed by former Real Madrid star David Beckham, Rice wrapped the first from 30-plus yards out around the wall, leaving Alan Shearer stunned on the Amazon Prime Video commentary.
The first was great, exceptional even, but the former West Ham man wasn’t done there. Spotting the fact that Thibaut Courtois was cheating towards his right side, trying to pre-empt where the 26-year-old was aiming, Rice then leathered the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net, leaving the best goalkeeper in the world dumbfounded, sending the already giddy Arsenal fans into ecstasy.
Declan Rice steals the spotlight as Arsenal topple Real Madrid
Whilst the Gunners were missing Gabriel Magalhaes due to injury, plus five other first-teamers, you wouldn’t have known it, given how easily Arsenal handled Real Madrid.
Following the game, Rice took to Instagram to post a caption-less photo that spoke a thousand words of himself atop the advertising hoardings, celebrating in front of the Arsenal fans, and a hundred cameras, with all eyes on the Englishman.
The image drew reactions from all corners of the footballing world, including from England teammates Palmer and Bowen, who liked the post.
Arsenal’s performance prove they have what it takes to win titles
Football Insider Verdict
Usually, against bigger sides, Mikel Arteta sets his side up to not lose as a priority, with winning being a bonus.
However, against Madrid, the Spaniard seemed to smell blood in the water, changing his usually cautious game-plan and instead taking a front-foot approach against the Spanish champions.
Los Blancos are in a bit of a crisis, even if they often appear to thrive amid chaos, but a loss against a struggling Valencia at the weekend highlighted the issues Carlo Ancelotti’s side are facing right now.
| Match stats | Arsenal | Real Madrid |
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Shots (on target) | 12 (11) | 9 (3) |
| Expected goals | 1.51 | 0.50 |
| Big chances (missed) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) |
| Corners | 5 | 3 |
The Italian is struggling to fit Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo into the same side, and it showed in North London.
Had it not been for Rice’s freekicks, Arsenal would undoubtedly have found another way against the Spanish giants, they were that good.
Looking ahead to next season, with a transfer window with Andrea Berta at the helm, and Arteta understanding his side are good enough to take the game to anyone, the Gunners are going to be a problem. Look out Liverpool.
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