THE STUNNING STATS FREE –KICK BEHIND RICE MASTERCLASS

Declan Rice’s two free-kicks in 12 minutes put Arsenal on their way to securing a resounding 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League; his first of the night was the first time he had scored from a direct free-kick in his senior career

Declan Rice’s free-kick double against Real Madrid in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final made history in more ways than one.

Mikel Arteta said the first of Rice’s curling efforts ended a four-year wait for a direct free-kick, with the last scored by Martin Odegaard against Burnley in September 2021.

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However, despite it not quite matching the beauty of Rice’s, Arsenal technically scored from a direct free-kick earlier this season when Bukayo Saka’s beat Gianluigi Donnarumma in the group phase as the Gunners overcame Paris Saint-Germain 2-0, but there’s little doubt that was an intended cross.

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So perhaps Arsenal and Mikel Arteta didn’t have to wait four years but Rice had to wait double that, having made 338 senior appearances without scoring from a free-kick. But just like London buses, you wait eight years, and two come along at once with 12 minutes separating Rice’s stunners.



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While very few had predicted Rice would score after stepping up for the first, let alone the second, it’s not been without the want of trying.

Rice had 12 attempts from free-kicks without scoring before Tuesday night, with nine of those coming in the Premier League. Domestically, Andreas Pereira leads the way in the top flight for the number of direct free-kicks taken without scoring (28).



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Sky Sports News’ Nick Wright and Ron Walker discuss Declan Rice’s heroics in Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg and question whether the Gunners could go all the way

To bring things back into perspective, scoring free-kicks is not easy – just ask Kylian Mbappe, who was forced to watch Rice’s deadball masterclass at the Emirates. Mbappe has yet to score from an identical scenario despite 17 attempts to do so.