Declan Rice has shared that a few calm words from his teammate, Bukayo Saka, played a crucial role in inspiring his remarkable brace of free-kicks during Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final clash. Rice, who had never scored a direct free-kick before, astonished fans with two powerful shots from 25 yards, helping to give the Gunners a solid advantage ahead of next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. 

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Rice opened up about the encouraging words from Saka that helped him find his rhythm: “Just feel it,” was all Saka said to Rice before the first free-kick. Rice explained that Saka’s advice, though simple, had a profound effect on him. 

“That's been the message from the manager since the weekend – we needed to be convinced we could win this game,” Rice explained. He revealed that the initial plan was to cross the ball into the box, but once he saw the positioning of the wall and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, he decided to go for the shot. “I just thought, ‘Go for it,’” Rice said, adding that after his first free-kick found the net, his confidence surged, and he was able to score a second, making the game 3-0 in Arsenal's favor. 

When asked about Saka’s contribution, Rice was full of praise for the winger’s leadership on and off the pitch, especially as Saka had recently returned from injury. “He’s a top guy. To come back the way he has is unbelievable,” said Rice, highlighting how important Saka’s presence was in Arsenal's performance.

With Arsenal now holding a three-goal cushion, they will head to Madrid with renewed confidence, having comfortably outplayed the 15-time Champions League winners. If they can maintain their form in the second leg, Arsenal will have a semi-final clash against either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain to look forward to. This victory marked a significant step in their pursuit of the club’s first-ever Champions League title.