Arsenal stunned Real Madrid with a dominant 3-0 victory in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium, giving the Gunners a strong advantage ahead of the return leg in Spain.
Declan Rice was the standout performer, scoring two superb free-kicks in the second half. The first came in the 58th minute, a curling strike around the wall past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Twelve minutes later, Rice repeated the feat with another pinpoint effort into the top right corner.
The night got even better for Arsenal when Mikel Merino added a third in the 75th minute, firing into the bottom corner from inside the box to cap off a commanding performance.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had urged fans to create an electrifying atmosphere, and the players delivered from the outset with relentless pressure and dangerous crosses. Madrid, largely second-best throughout, had their first real chance in the 20th minute when Vinicius Jr curled a shot wide.
Madrid’s woes deepened in stoppage time when Eduardo Camavinga received a second yellow card and was sent off.
The result equals Arsenal’s biggest Champions League win over a Spanish side, matching their 3-0 victories against Sevilla in 2007/08 and Villarreal in 2008/09.
Arsenal, aiming for their first semi-final appearance since 2008/09, now take a commanding lead into the second leg.
