Jack Grealish sends message to Declan Rice after Arsenal demolish Real Madrid
Jack Grealish sent a four-word message to midfielder Declan Rice after Arsenal advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League by demolishiong Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old’s incredible brace in the first leg already helped to set the scene ahead of the Gunners’ trip to the Bernabeu on Wednesday, 16 April, travelling with a 3-1 lead.
Despite the raucous atmosphere, it was Bukayo Saka who drew first blood against the La Liga giants, only for Vinicius Junior to pounce on William Saliba’s mistake just two minutes later to equalise.
However, the challenge was just too much for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as Gabriel Martinelli added a late winner of the tie, helping Mikel Arteta and his team to a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Despite an all-around near-perfect display by the team from London, it was Rice who claimed the accolades once again, having put in a shift for yet another 90 minutes.
Declan Rice earns applause after Arsenal beat Real Madrid again
Taking to Instagram stories (16 April), Grealish posted an image of his international teammate, captioned: “What a player, man,” with a clapping emoji following his Man of the Match performance.
Mikel Arteta one step closer to the Champions League trophy
Football Insider verdict
Arteta has been under immense pressure to produce at Arsenal this season, but with Arne Slot’s Liverpool set to lift the Premier League title, it all comes down to the Champions League now.
The Spaniard has only lifted one proper trophy since taking charge in 2019, claiming the FA Cup during his first season at the Emirates Stadium, and fans have begun to grow restless.
| Real Madrid | Arsenal |
| 66% possession | 34% possession |
| 18 shots (3 on target) | 12 shots (6 on target) |
| 1.41 xG | 2.05 xG |
| 1 big chance | 3 big chances |
| 10 corners | 4 corners |
However, with Andrea Berta now joining the staff at Arsenal, supporters have reason to be excited ahead of the summer transfer window, with a real recruitment team backing the manager.
Many believe that the Gunners should be challenging to lift the Premier League title, as well as compete in the Champions League, but the 13-point gap at the top of the table suggests they are still some way off.
With a solid summer transfer window, there is no reason why Arteta’s side cannot come back next season even stronger, looking to blow all other teams out of the water.