The football world was thrown into a frenzy yesterday after Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice scored two incredible free kicks in their 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
It was unbelievable how Declan Rice had scored two free kicks for Arsenal in the space of 12 minutes. While he joined the elite company of Ronaldo, Neymar and Rivaldo as the only two players to score two direct free kicks in a UCL game, he also ended Arsenal’s unwanted record.
The last time Arsenal scored a free kick was in September 2021 when they travelled to Burnley.
Since then, after 338 games spanning almost four years, Arsenal finally scored a free kick. It wasn’t just any free kick, it was a marvel of a free kick.
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, well, Declan Rice brought the thunder twice. In the 58th and 70th minute, Declan Rice hit two free kicks beyond Courtois. The first one was a thing of beauty, but the second was out of this world.
Even his teammates couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. In a post-match conference with CBS Sports, Rice said he is still yet to understand the magnitude of what he did, and frankly, many of us are still in shock, including the Real Madrid players.
