Declan Rice scored two brilliant free kicks when Arsenal Real Madrid defeated 3-0 in the first stage of their Champions League quarterfinals collision in the Emirates on Tuesday
Declan Rice's ability to bend it like Beckham was such a secret weapon, even his teammates from Arsenal knew nothing about it. Terwijl Arsenal zich koesterde in de lof na de Rout van de Champions League die voetbal verbaasde, waren de Identikit Free -Kicks van Engeland Rice Rice – rond een onvoldoende Madrid -muur geslagen – de kroon op de Gunners 'Gunners' Gunners 'Gunners' Gunners 'Gunners' Night at the Emirates.
But defender William Saliba, who chames the most coveted striker Kylian Mbappe in the world, revealed that it was not even a keynote of the Arsenal game plan. For all 15 times European Cup winners Bravoure and Trash, the Gunners are favorites to reach the semi-final after their 3-0 demolition of Real in the first stage.
And Saliba revealed: “We don't score much direct free kicks and today he scored two in a game like this. We are so proud of him and we hope he will score again. We are so proud of him because he was great.
“You know, I don't see that in the training! It is the first time I have seen a good free kick from December. I am so proud of him and I am sure he will score again. It is one of the best nights (of my career) and I hope it is not the last.
“It was incredible because to win in a quarterfinals like this against Madrid, for our fans, is great. But now we have to do it again next week. We are so proud because we knew they had the best player in the world, so we are so happy to keep the clean sheet and we have to win that game.”
Arsenal looks doomed to get short of a third consecutive year in the title race, but the nature of the unbridled second half of Tuesday evening in the Emirates has changed them to real Champions League kans.
And Saliba says it will give the Young Squad of the Gunners that they are equipped to conquer Europe and add it: “We want to go there and win the game. We won 3-0 today, but we know it is not yet ready.
“There are many things that can happen. We have to go to the Bernabeu to win and not defend the whole game. But this gives us a lot of confidence for what comes next. We have to continue even if we have a young team, we can win.
“We want to win and qualify again next week. We don't have to be afraid to go there. We don't want to hide behind the injuries. We know that we have not been lucky with injuries this season, but we have to continue.
“We have many good players who can perform and it gave us a lot of confidence for what is coming. So yes, we are not afraid.”
Rice, who completely brightened up his teammate of England Jude Bellingham – anonymously as an attacking threat – admitted that he would be up all night to repeat his free kicks. He said: 'I am speechless – this has never happened to me before.
“We know how much this night meant. It is a real historic evening for the club. I am so happy. I have seen the free kicks a few times now, but I think I am looking at it all night. It's an incredible moment, I can't believe it.
“As soon as I hit the first and it went inside, I thought,” That's my very first free kick! ” And then I had the trust in the second.