April 11, 2025, 07:23 PM ET
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised Declan Rice after revealing that the midfielder ignored the advice of the club’s set-piece coach before he scored the first of two sensational free kicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The first ever goal from an English International free kick was to beat Arsenal 3-0 in the first game of the Champions League quarterfinals at Emirates Stadium.
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After the match, Rice said Arsenal set-piece coach Nicholas Jover had instructed him to cross the ball.
“That didn’t make any sense,” Rice said. “I’m happy I took it. Bukayo. [Saka] “If you feel it, go for it.” I looked at the wall and the keeper and thought, “I can bending this outward.”
And Arteta supports Rice’s decision and says he has demonstrated the necessary qualities at the top level.
“I love it, especially when I go behind the net instead of a counterattack,” he said. “They have to make a decision, we are here to help them and draw pictures of what the options are, and I loved it.
Mikel Arteta praised Declan Rice for taking the initiative against Real Madrid. Katherine Evil – Ama/Getty Images
“When I talk about making the next step, it’s a lot about it. I think it’s about taking the initiative, making things happen on the pitch, and actually believing that you can win the game yourself.
Thanks to Rice’s goal, a third of Mikel Merino found himself in Prime position to make the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009.
“There’s no coincidence that every top team watching the Champions League game is the amount of individual moments that have won a football match,” Arteta added.
“In the Champions League at this level, that’s what you need. Without it, I don’t think you’ll have the opportunity to advance and win the trophy, as we would have hoped.”
Arsenal hosts Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, and is trying to narrow down the 11-poon gap to leader Liverpool before visiting Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
