DECLAN RICE put on a performance for the ages against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
He had gone more than 400 career matches without scoring a direct free-kick.
Then he within 13 minutes to turn the tie in Arsenal's favour.
Mikel Merino turned in a superb third to give the to take to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
And ahead of the second leg, SunSport's tactical guru Dean Scoggins unpacked what made Rice's masterclass so good in the latest episode of Tactics Exposed…
DECLAN RICE LOOKED A WORLD BEATER AGAINST REAL MADRID… WHY?
is a world-class football player. We talked previously about how he can be wasted in the England system.
Against , Rice played much further forward and was freed up – but don't underestimate the Bukayo Saka factor.
came back to help David Alaba deal with Saka but that moved the midfield sideways for Madrid – which opens gaps for Rice to get forward and be a threat.
Minus Rice's two free-kicks, – he was unbelievably good.
He came in to make a midfield two with Thomas Partey which took some defensive responsibility off Rice.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF RICE DEFYING ARSENAL'S SET-PIECE COACH AND SHOOTING RATHER THAN CROSSING?
in this game, too.
Players can magic moments. This was an opportunity and he took it.
If he put it over the bar, it wouldn't matter.
Too often in football matches it has becomes robotic and turgid because players don't want to take the risk and shift responsibility.
Rice has done that brilliantly well.
We saw Brennan Johnson not take the penalty against Southampton when he could have completed his hat-trick – he semi-asked if he was allowed but Mathys Tel took it.
Rice owned the free-kick and is becoming the main man in a very good team.
WHICH FREE-KICK WAS BETTER – FIRST OR SECOND?
I think the second one.
As a mid-ranking amateur footballer that I was, I judge a goal on ‘could I have done it?'
If you gave me 100 attempts, maybe I could score one in a hundred for the first one – but the second one not even one in a million. No chance!
The pace he hits it at, the angle, the attitude to give it a go.
IS RICE PLAYING IN THE WRONG POSITION?
At the moment for , his position is here, it's there, it's everywhere.
He's two, maybe even three, players in one.
So yes, Mikel Arteta is getting the best out of him.
Out of possession, he drops in with Partey and gets back in position but they call him the ‘horse' because he never stops running.
When the full-back inverts, he can go further upfield.
Lewis-Skelly is English – so ?
If you have another holding midfielder alongside Rice for England, then you can have Rice and Bellingham running from deep.
Get Rice on the field and tell him to run.
