Declan Rice’s free-kick double against Real Madrid cemented his place in Champions League history, but it came after mixed messages from his team-mates and coaches
Arsenal are on the verge of a first Champions League semi-final since 2009, largely thanks to Declan Rice’s right boot. The Londoner’s legendary free-kick double at home to Real Madrid on Tuesday is certain to go down in Gunners folklore, but it also never came to be.
Fans can consider themselves lucky that Bukayo Saka was on hand to deliver a message of positivity to the player as he stood over the first of his two set-piece strikes. That’s after Rice revealed his team-mate’s influence leading up to the opening struck past Thibaut Courtois.
Supporters may be less thankful to Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, who shared a different sentiment in the seconds before his brace. And it’s just as well Rice has something of a rebellious streak in him.
Manager Mikel Arteta was gushing about his star midfielder after the match, though his reaction in real time was all the more entertaining. Mirror Sport breaks down some of the hidden moments around Rice’s historic contribution, which only makes his feat that much more special.
Defying coach’s orders
Arsenal’s efficacy from corners in recent campaigns has earned specialist Jover plenty of praise. And Rice has proved to be the instrument through which the Gunners get a lot of their best work done from those scenarios.
However, Rice proved in midweek that respecting one’s superiors isn’t always recommended after Jover’s direction was to cross the ball. And the former West Ham sensation proved to be on the money – twice.
“We [the staff] were saying to cross it,” he told the Amazon Prime Video crew after the game. “When they [the defenders in the wall] were over a little bit we saw the space… I thought I’m going to take this.
“When you score a goal it’s the best feeling in the world. It didn’t make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass. And when I saw the wall. It didn’t make sense to cross. You know what, I’m happy I took it because it was magic.”
Jover certainly thought as much given he proceeded to celebrate as wildly as anyone else. However, Rice was having none of it as he added: “He’s claiming for it, but he’s told me to cross it!”
Saka’s nod of approval
Rice also addressed Saka’s hand in the strike after his England team-mate told him to go with his gut. After spotting Real’s wall had left with an opening inside Courtois’ right post, Rice told Arsenal’s star winger he was confident he could fine the target himself.
“If you feel it, go for it,” came Saka’s seven-word statement with an affirming nod. And that was all the approval Rice required to ignore Jover’s directions and go for goal himself.
The French set-piece coach will never again be so happy to have been wrong. Not to mention the fact he’ll view Rice – who had never before scored a free-kick in his career – in a completely different light when it comes to dead ball situations.
Emotional Arteta
Arteta is no stranger to showing his emotion on the sidelines, but the coach was as dumbfounded as anyone else at the Emirates when Rice’s first goal went in. The Spaniard’s immediate reaction was to thrust his fists into the sky, but that quickly turned into disbelief as he cradled his own head before being swarmed by his staff.
That action echoed what many Arsenal fans would have been feeling at the moment, and probably Rice himself, to some extent. At no point did the Gunners look to be on the back foot in what is likely Arteta’s finest hour as a manager to date, and he paid tribute to his talisman in response.
“He’s been very determined because we have talked in the last few months, we haven’t scored a direct free kick since September 2021; Burnley away, Martin Odegaard,” said Arteta in the post-match press conference. “So it’s been a long time, so to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career, I mean, what are the odds?
“But he’s done it tonight, and I’m a big believer. I think the crowd played something with the energy that they put in, and it helped us massively to win the game.”
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