Declan Rice reveals he ‘DEFIED’ Arsenal orders by shooting from free-kick against Real Madrid after chat with team-mate
DECLAN RICE revealed his stunning free-kick against Real Madrid was not part of the plan – after he defied Arsenal’s set-piece guru.
Rice curled a stunner past Thibaut Courtois before matching it moments later with an equally sensational top corner strike.
Initially, fans online gave credit to set-piece coach Nicolas Jover – who has played a huge part in Arsenal’s success from corners this season.
But Rice revealed it was actually words of wisdom from team-mate Bukayo Saka that inspired the first of his two stunners.
The midfielder was given instructions to deliver the ball into the box but thought better of it.
Told that he “defied” Jover, Rice said: “Yeah, I know! Bukayo said, the actual words were, ‘If you feel it, go for it.’
“I looked at the wall and looked at the keeper and thought I could bend it and that’s what happened.”
As it turns out, Jover was not the only one telling him not to shoot – ignoring even his captain.
Rice said: “I don’t know if it will ever sink in. “I fancied both (free-kicks) and to have the confidence, I am a bit speechless.
“Martin [Odegaard] was saying to cross, I said it doesn’t make sense to chip it like that.
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“We practice them all the time, Jover is telling me to cross and it didn’t make sense.”
Rice and Mikel Merino help Arsenal take a commanding 3-0 lead to Madrid in Wednesday’s quarter-final return tie.
Before the game, Rice had only taken 12 free-kicks as a professional without scoring – but two came in one match.
Manager Mikel Arteta said: “Declan’s been very determined because we have said in the last few months that we have not scored a direct free-kick in three-and-half years.
“So, to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude and of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career, what are the odds?
“This night was all about two factors; one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off with something I haven’t seen before.
“And then the magic, the individual moments that decide all matches. And the first two goals from Declan sums up the night.”