Declan Rice perfection, Martin Odegaard disappears – Arsenal ratings vs Real Madrid
Declan Rice scored two exquisite free kicks before a Mikel Merino goal gave Arsenal a 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
The England international scored the first and second free kicks of his career to open the scoring for the Gunners against their Spanish opponents.
Having dominated the second half, Mikel Merino then added a third to give Arsenal a commanding lead heading into the second-leg at the Bernabeu.
Man City target Eduardo Camavinga then received a needless second yellow for kicking the ball away, leaving Real Madrid without the Frenchman when the two sides meet next on 16 April.
Arsenal stun Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium 3-0
David Raya – 8
Raya made some important saves in the first half, denying Kylian Mbappe whilst also impressing with the ball at his feet.
Jurrien Timber (off for White 90′) – 7
Timber was a major question mark for this game, having been forced off injured against Fulham, but the Dutchman recovered and put in a solid performance.
William Saliba marshals Arsenal backline to cleansheet
William Saliba – 8
Saliba is a Real Madrid target, but on tonight’s showing, a move to sunny Madrid would be a downgrade for the Rolls-Royce defender.
Jakub Kiwior – 8
No Gabriel? No problem. The Polish centre-back stepped up in lieu of the Brazilian and put in his finest performance in an Arsenal shirt.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7
Typically pugnacious, a dream teammate to have in a game against such a daunting opponent, industrious and destructive, ruining Rodrygo’s impact all night long, forcing Carlo Ancelotti to substitute the Brazilian in the second half.
Martin Odegaard – 5
Invisible at times. Odegaard started brightly but his impact dwindled in the second-half, and he ended as the only Arsenal player not to impress with his performance.
Thomas Partey – 7
A quietly solid performance from the Ghanaian, putting in some good tackles whilst always looking to be progressive with his passing.
Declan Rice (off for Tierney 80′) – 10 – Player-of-the-Match
So nice, he did it twice. Rice’s first freekick goal was a stunner, whipping the ball from 30-plus yards out past a helpless Courtois. His second was similarly sensational, leaving the Belgian glued in place. Ran the show without putting a foot wrong. The night of his life.
Bukayo Saka (off for Trossard 74′) – 8
Saka’s return to fitness in time for the first-leg against Real Madrid was monumental for Arteta’s side, with the Englishman back to his very best, in spite of his long layoff.
Mikel Merino continues goal-scoring run for Arsenal
Mikel Merino – 9
Arsenal don’t have a striker. Really? Merino’s goal was picture perfect, finding space in a crowded box before curling a low effort past the best goalkeeper in world football. Forget your Alexander Isak’s and Viktor Gyokeres’, Arsenal have their number nine, and he wears number 23.
Gabriel Martinelli – 8
It’s easy to forget that this season, especially the first half, has been a difficult one for the Brazilian. But since his spell on the side-lines, Martinelli has looked back to his best, giving makeshift right-back Federico Valverde a torrid time.
Substitutes
Leandro Trossard (on for Saka 74′) – 6
Picked up where Saka left off, being direct on the ball, just with less impact than the English winger.
Kieran Tierney (on for Rice 80′) – 6
Tierney will be re-joining Celtic in the summer, and the Scottish international put himself about in his cameo off the bench.
Ben White (on for Timber 90′) – N/A
Was not on the pitch long enough to have an impact.