Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Declan Rice after the midfielder revealed that he ignored the advice of the club’s set-piece coach before scoring the first of two sensational free kicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The England international’s first-ever goals direct from free kicks led Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium.
After the game, Rice said that Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover was instructing him to cross the ball.
“It didn’t make sense,” said Rice. “I’m happy I took it. Bukayo [Saka] said, ‘If you feel it, go for it.’ I looked at the wall and the keeper and thought, ‘I can bend this around the outside.”
And Arteta has backed Rice’s decision, saying it showed the qualities needed at the top level.
“I love it, especially when it goes to the back of the net instead of a counter-attack,” he said. “They have to make the decision, we are here to help them, to try to paint the picture of what the options are, but I loved it.
“I think when we talk about making the next step, it’s a lot about that. It’s about taking initiative, making things happen on the pitch and believing that you can actually win the game by yourself sometimes, and I was really impressed the way he did it.”
Thanks to Rice’s goals, and a third from Mikel Merino, Arsenal find themselves in prime position to make the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009.
“I mean there’s no coincidence that all the top teams you look at the games in the Champions League the amount of individual moments that won the football matches,” Arteta added.
“In the Champions League at this level that’s a necessity, without that I don’t think you have a chance to progress and be in the finals and winning trophies like we want.”
Arsenal host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to narrow an 11-poiont gap to leaders Liverpool, before visiting Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.
