Declan Rice shares part West Ham United played in Arsenal Champions League heroics
Declan Rice was the man of the hour as Arsenal hammered Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
The former West Ham United midfielder scored two sensational free-kicks as the Gunners went on to defeat the Spanish giants 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
The result has put Mikel Arteta’s team firmly in the driving seat of that tie as they look to secure a place in the semi-final of the competition, where they will face either PSG or Aston Villa.
Rice’s overall performance was tremendous as he dominated the Real Madrid midfield, and it was his two jaw-dropping free-kick goals that everyone is talking about right now.
The England international has come up with plenty of goals throughout his career, but he’s not someone who is traditionally expected to score goals of this nature.
Rice mentions West Ham in post-match interview
Arsenal are notorious for their set-piece brilliance, normally putting together elaborate routines from set-plays to try and score goals.
However, Rice took a more traditional approach with his two free-kicks by simply having a shot directly at goal, with his connection being perfect for each of them.
| Match Stats | Rice |
| Minutes Played | 80 |
| Total Shots | 5 |
| Accurate Passes | 27/30 (90%) |
| Touches | 43 |
Rice has likely put himself in contention to be Arsenal’s number one free-kick taker moving forward, and when speaking to Amazon Prime (8 April) after the game, he namechecked former side West Ham.
He said: “Even at West Ham and ever since I’ve been here, everyone’s been telling me to shoot more. It’s these little things, and you’ve got to be in that mindset to score goals. I do have the ability to do it, but it’s a confidence thing.”
West Ham used Rice in a more defensive role
Rice managed to chip in with goals throughout his time at West Ham, but he was traditionally kept in a more defensive role under David Moyes.
Rice was influential within that Hammers team, whether he was playing as a number six or filling in at centre-back, which he did numerous times.
However, since making the move to Arsenal, he has been given a lot more freedom for both club and country to be a little more attack-minded with the freedom to move up and down the pitch.
Despite his new role at the Gunners, even Arsenal fans were blown away by the quality of his goals against Real Madrid, which are sure to remain in his highlight reel forever.