Mikel Arteta was happy with his players after the 3-0 victory of Arsenal at Real Madrid in the first stage of their quarterfinals of Champions League on Tuesday.
Declan Rice scored two brilliant free kicks before a tidy finish by Mikel Merino Gloss added to the score to seal a famous victory for the Gunners, who will take a big lead over Madrid for the second stage next week.
“Great. So happy, so proud of the team. We have the chance to make many people proud and we certainly did that,” Arteta told Amazon Prime after the game.
“I have never seen the stadium like that. Before the game they already sang and played the game. For large European nights you need the big stadiums that create atmosphere and you need individual magical moments and you go there.
“That is the beauty of the one who invented this sport. We had not scored a free kick since September 2021, and tonight, against Real Madrid at home in the Champions League, we scored two in 13 minutes.”
Arsenal thoroughly earned their victory over 15 European champions Real Madrid, so that they limit only three shots on goalnated people, while the home team had 11.
Arteta could not hide his joy about the implementation.
Arsenal registered 11 shots on goal against Madrid.
That is the joint record (since 2003-04) by a team in a UCL Knockout podium match against Real Madrid (11 by Liverpool in March 2009) #ARsrma pic.twitter.com/09iyGooveo
– Opta Analyst (@Optaanalyst) April 8, 2025
“I mean, together, when we played as we played and have the achievements we had that you needed at the highest level.” Said Arteta, reported by BBC Sport.
“I think they have all brought their performance to a different level, their individual performance according to the standards needed to beat this incredible team.
“[I am] Very happy and now it's about consistency. “
Real Madrid has once destroyed a shortage of three goals in the first leg and did this after a 4-1 defeat to Derby County in the 1975-76 season.
Although history is on their side, Arteta knows that they still have to do a good performance in the Bernabeu to have a chance to continue.
“Ok, we have to go there. We know we have to perform again and we will try to win,” he said.
“It's another step in the right direction like a team. We have to make another and replicate what we have done tonight.”
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