Arsenal achieved a historic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. The night at Emirates Stadium will be remembered as one of the greatest for the Gunners, who, despite missing several key players, showed immense determination. Goals from Declan Rice and Mikel Merino have left Carlo Ancelotti’s side on the brink of elimination, with the second half making it clear who dominated the match.

Rice: "I was going to cross, but I saw the wall and the goalkeeper and went for it"

One of the standout players of the night was Declan Rice, who not only scored two goals that shaped the outcome of the match but also spoke humbly and clearly about how he decided to take the shot on goal both times. "I’ve often hit the wall or sent it over the crossbar. I was going to cross, but I saw the wall and the goalkeeper and thought 'let’s go for it,' and Bukayo (Saka) told me to just go for it," said the English midfielder after the match, emphasizing that instinct and the confidence built up in the moment were key to his two stunning free kicks.

The first, a strike around the outside of the wall, caught Thibaut Courtois off guard, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The second, even more spectacular, was a curling shot that found the top corner, an unstoppable effort that sent Arsenal’s fans into ecstasy. "For the second goal, I already had that confidence, so I just hit it. I don’t want to get carried away because the second leg is still to come. I’m happy, I’m thrilled, really excited, but I’m sure that in a few years, I’ll realize just how special what I did tonight was," added Rice.

Arsenal strikes hard, Real Madrid fails to respond

Although Real Madrid began cautiously, they were soon overwhelmed by the intensity and hunger for glory of Arsenal, who seized the opportunity to make history. Rice took advantage of a poor placement by Courtois’s wall, firing a shot into the top corner for the first goal. This goal broke the deadlock, and just twelve minutes later, Rice struck again, a memorable long-range goal that left the Belgian goalkeeper helpless.

Despite efforts from David Alaba and Jude Bellingham, who prevented the score from being even worse, Real Madrid had no response in the second half. Kylian Mbappé missed a clear chance in a one-on-one with David Raya that could have changed the course of the game, but once again, Real Madrid’s lack of finishing let them down.

Arsenal didn’t stop there and sealed the thrashing with a fantastic goal from Mikel Merino, who fired precisely from outside the box to make it 3-0. This third goal reflected the quality and focus that Arsenal displayed throughout the match, completely dominating a Real Madrid side that had no answer.

The road to the Bernabéu

With this result, Arsenal has placed Real Madrid on the brink of elimination, and now Ancelotti’s team is forced to seek a miracle at the Bernabéu. While the task ahead is monumental, Arsenal has shown that, despite the absences in their squad, they are determined to give everything to reach the semifinals and continue showing they are ready to fight for the Champions League. Without a doubt, the second leg in Madrid promises to be an epic battle, but the Gunners have earned the right to dream of their first major European night in many years.