- Rice scored two free-kicks in 12 minutes to give the Gunners the upper hand
This is the moment Kylian Mbappe reacted in disbelief after Declan Rice scored two free-kicks in 12 minutes to help Arsenal to a 3-0 win against Real Madrid.
Two set-pieces from Rice, as well as a strike from Mikel Merino, gave the Gunners the upper hand after the first leg of their Champions League tie at the Emirates.
But French forward Mbappe was a peripheral figure as he and his team-mates struggled to make an impact on the game.
That was in contrast to England midfielder Rice, who seized momentum for his side with two sumptuous efforts.
Mbappe could then be seen reacting with an expression of shock, disbelief and bemusement on his face after Rice’s second goal.
Remarkably, both of those efforts were the first free-kicks Rice has scored in his professional career.
Kylian Mbappe reacted in disbelief after Declan Rice scored two free-kicks in 12 minutes to help Arsenal to a 3-0 win against Real Madrid
That was in contrast to England midfielder Rice, who seized momentum for his side with two sumptuous efforts
Mbappe was a peripheral figure as he and his team-mates struggled to make an impact on the game
It gave Mikel Arteta’s injury-ravaged side a margin of victory that few would have predicted prior to kick-off.
Prior to Rice’s first free-kick, one supporter was picked up on Amazon Prime’s commentary microphones of Jon Champion and Alan Shearer egging on the midfielder before the kick was taken.
‘Smash it, Declan!’ the fan shouted – and that’s exactly what he did as he stepped up to take the kick ahead of Bukayo Saka.
‘There was a man behind me shouting smash it Declan,’ Shearer said on Amazon Prime Video commentary of the game. ‘That’s exactly what he has done, a bit of finesse, a bit of curl, what a strike.
‘Look at the bend on that, how far it starts, out the post, finds itself curling inside, absolutely magnificent. Keeper no chance. What a brilliant goal, exactly what Arsenal needed.
‘Listen to the crowd now going wild, they should do, they have just seen a goal of the highest quality. No more than they deserve.’
With the second leg of the tie to come at the Bernabeu next Wednesday, Arteta will know the job is only half done.
However, the result marks a major step in his team’s quest to win their first-ever Champions League title.
But they must still survive a trip to one of European football’s most storied stadiums if they are to even reach a first semi-final in the competition since 2009.