Arsenal’s rice nets first-ever free-kicks to crush Real Madrid in Champions League quarter-final

Declan Rice, a man never before known for set-piece brilliance, stunned the footballing world on Tuesday night as he curled not one, but two sensational free-kicks past Thibaut Courtois to help Arsenal thrash Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Before this seismic night, Rice had played 338 professional games without a single free-kick goal. That all changed in the 339th, as he stepped up not once, but twice, to deliver two near-identical curling strikes that left Real Madrid reeling—and the Emirates roaring.

The match, poised at 0-0 with Arsenal dominating but unable to break through, turned when Rice struck his first in the 58th minute. Calmly stepping up, the England midfielder arced the ball over the Madrid wall and tucked it just inside the post. Courtois, rooted to the spot, could only watch.

Barely a dozen minutes later, history repeated itself. Same man, same spot, same devastating result. With ice in his veins, Rice whipped another unstoppable effort into the top corner. Cue disbelief. Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard clutched his head in shock. Mikel Arteta, equally awestruck, stared at the pitch in disbelief. Even Roberto Carlos—one of the game’s great free-kick specialists—looked stone-faced in the stands.

Rice’s brace marked him as the first player to ever score two free-kicks in a single Champions League knockout match.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the final whistle, the 26-year-old was still trying to grasp the enormity of the night. “I don’t know whether it will ever sink in,” Rice admitted, visibly overwhelmed. “I’ve gone back to my phone and it’s gone crazy. To score my first free-kick in a game is special. And then when I got the second one… I just had the confidence. I’m speechless really.”

“It’s a historic night,” he added. “I don’t think it’s going to hit me what I’ve done.”

Rice’s sudden evolution into a set-piece maestro caught many by surprise. Before Tuesday night, he’d only attempted 12 free-kicks in his entire career. Yet here he was, rising to the occasion in one of the most high-stakes fixtures of the season—and delivering like a seasoned specialist.

The performance wasn’t just about goals. Rice bossed the midfield, breaking up play, driving forward, and leading with authority. His transformation from a holding midfielder at West Ham to a dynamic all-rounder under Mikel Arteta has been staggering—and Tuesday night may have been the pinnacle of that journey so far.

Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over the 14-time European champions now puts them in firm control of the tie heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. But beyond the scoreline, the night belonged to Declan Rice—a man who waited over 300 games for one free-kick and made his first two count in unforgettable fashion.

For Arsenal fans dreaming of European glory, Rice’s magical night felt like more than just a win. It felt like destiny taking shape—one swirling set-piece at a time.