Rice’s Dead-Ball Brilliance Leaves Real Reeling as Arsenal Seize Command of Champions League Tie

North London witnessed a night for the ages as Arsenal dismantled reigning European champions Real Madrid 3-0, recording the club’s widest margin of victory over Spanish opposition at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta’s side, who averaged just under 62 percent possession and completed close to 600 passes with an 89 percent success rate, were almost flawless from first whistle to last.

Declan Rice wrote his name into continental folklore by bending two sublime free-kicks beyond the outstretched Thibaut Courtois—making him the first Gunner to score twice from direct set-pieces in a Champions League match since Thierry Henry in 2004. In between those moments of artistry, Real were limited to speculative efforts; Kylian Mbappé, who arrived in London on 11 goals in this season’s competition, mustered four shots but failed to hit the target once.

The pressure told again on 68 minutes when academy star Myles Lewis-Skelly, still only 17, carved open the Madrid back line with a driven cut-back. Mikel Merino’s scuffed finish squeezed in at the near post, his third goal in five knockout appearances, and sent the Emirates decibel level soaring past 110 dB according to in-stadium readings.

Madrid’s frustrations boiled over in stoppage time as Eduardo Camavinga collected a second yellow card, condemning the holders to finish with ten men. It is the first time since 2020 that Los Blancos have conceded three unanswered goals in a Champions League knockout away leg, leaving them needing to overturn a three-goal deficit at the Bernabéu next week—a feat they have never accomplished in the modern era.

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