In a highly competitive UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg clash between Arsenal and Real Madrid, Arsenal emerged victorious with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Declan Rice stunned the Madrid defense with two brilliant free kicks, including the first of his career, putting the Gunners in a strong position heading into the second leg.
Mikel Arteta had urged the Arsenal fans to arrive early and set an electric atmosphere, which the team capitalized on by starting the game aggressively with a series of dangerous crosses into the Madrid penalty area.
Real Madrid’s first real chance came in the 20th minute when Vinicius Jr. curled an effort wide. However, the second half belonged to Rice, who took control of the match for Arsenal.
The Gunners dominated throughout and took the lead in the 58th minute when Rice curled a superb free kick around the Real Madrid wall into the corner of the net past Thibaut Courtois.
Twelve minutes later, Rice doubled his tally with another exquisite free kick, bending the ball into the top right-hand corner, leaving Madrid shell-shocked.
Arsenal sealed the deal in the 75th minute when Mikel Merino curled a shot into the bottom corner from inside the area.
Things worsened for Madrid when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card.
This dominant performance has given Arsenal a huge opportunity to advance to the last four.
