Arsenal put up a masterclass against Real Madrid, with Declan Rice scoring two stunning free-kicks to help the Gunners claim a 3-0 win over the title holders in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final match on Tuesday night.
Both teams showed intent in a keenly contested first half, with Kylian Mbappe denied from close range by David Raya while Thibaut Courtois made a double save to keep out Mikel Merino’s header before stopping Gabriel Martinelli on the rebound.
Following a goalless but eventful first half, Arsenal found the breakthrough just before the hour mark through Rice with a stunning free-kick which went around the Real Madrid wall and beat a fully stretched Courtois.
The goal put a spring in the steps of Arsenal players and only a combination of Courtois saves plus goal-line clearances by David Alaba and Jude Bellingham denied the rampant Gunners a second goal as Carlo Ancelotti’s men tried to stay in the game.
But that resistance fell apart with two goals in five minutes by Mikel Arteta’s side, with Rice scoring another peach of a free-kick in the 70th minute before Merino peeled away from his marker to send a first-time curler past Courtois into the bottom corner to make it 3-0 five minutes later.
Madrid’s night went from bad to worse as Eduardo Camavinga got sent off after getting a second yellow card for a foul on substitute, Leandro Trossard, as the Gunners held on to claim a famous win over the European champions.
Elsewhere in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Inter Milan came away from Munich – the venue of this season’s final – with a 2-1 win over Bayern, with Lautaro Martinez and Davide Frattesi scoring for the Italians either side of Thomas Muller’s goal for Bayern.