Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were both replaced in Arsenal's impressive 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday evening and manager Mikel Arteta gave an update after the game
Mikel Arteta is convinced that the beats that Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice against Real Madrid have forced are not serious. Arsenal produced a stunning version on Tuesday evening to decrease Real 3-0 in the first stage of their Champions League quart final and Fortunately, it seems that injuries will not decrease the shine from their performance.
Rice was the star of the show and called on two pinpoint free-kicks to put Arsenal 2-0 in the second half. Mikel Merino then hit a third goal in the bottom corner from the edge of the box to give the Gunners a huge advantage for the second stage in the Spanish capital next week.
Saka terrorized David Alaba along the right side of Arsenal, but was collected for Leandro Trossard in the 74th minute, shortly after he was polluted for Rice's second free kick. Rice was then replaced by Kieran Tierney in the 80th minute, after he received some treatment from the physio on the field.
Neither of the issues seemed to disturb the English stars much at the time and Arteta confirmed in his press conference after the game that he is not worried about their fitness. “I think Dec had a problem with the foot, I am not sure if it was a tackle or what it was and after Bukayo was tackled for the error, he had a knock and he had to go off,” he said. “It doesn't look serious, no.”
Arsenal has been very careful with Saka since he returned from the hamstring injury that kept him outside for more than three months. The winger played for 24 minutes in the 2-1 victory over Fulham, in which he scored the winner before he played for 45 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Everton, which preceded the real game.
In the meantime, Rice has been an almost always present for Arsenal this season and appeared in all competitions in 43 games. He was excellent against Real and threatened to score a few times before he curled in two stunning free kicks-the first of his entire professional career.
“He is very determined because we have spoken in recent months,” said Arteta about his midfielder. “We have not scored direct free kick since September 2021 – Burnley Away, Martin Odegaard.
“So it's a long time ago, so to score two goals in 12 minutes of that quality of that quality of the same player, a player who has never scored a free kick in his career, I mean, what are the opportunities?
“But he did it tonight and I am a big believer. I think the crowd played something with the energy they did and it helped us enormously to win the game.”
Arsenal was without Gabriel Jesus (knee), Kai Havertz (thigh), Gabriel Magalhaes (Hamstring), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Riccardo Calafiori (knee) for the first leg.
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