Rice is rewriting his own history.

Two swings of his leg, two masterpieces created. That night in London, Declan Rice stunned the football world.

Declan Rice scored a brace in Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

The first leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Real Madrid witnessed a magical moment that no one could have predicted. Declan Rice, the Gunners' midfielder, scored two spectacular free kicks in just 12 minutes, leaving the entire football world stunned.

But was that a complete surprise? The answer is no.

Rice was good at long-range shots.

Rice has always possessed the technical and physical qualities to take shots from distance. As a teenager at West Ham United, the club's senior players often encouraged him to take shots whenever he had the chance, especially from outside the penalty area.

However, despite those skills, no one could have predicted that one day Rice would create such spectacular moments in a big Champions League match. That night in London, Arsenal thrashed Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals – with Rice scoring a brace from stunning free-kick goals.

In fact, Rice himself couldn't believe what had happened. Despite having missed 12 previous penalty kicks in his career, he humbly said, "I don't know if this will ever make me feel enlightened. I think I'll never understand what I did tonight."

Rice's teammates at Arsenal couldn't hide their surprise. Arsenal's central defender William Saliba shared: "This is the first time I've seen a good free-kick from Rice. I didn't know he could do that. We don't score many goals from direct free kicks."

Rice's powerful shot created a masterpiece at Emirates.

The truth is that Arsenal haven't scored from a free kick in a very long time. The last goal from such a situation was scored by Martin Odegaard in September 2021, against Burnley.

Since then, Arsenal have only scored one goal from 64 direct free kicks. Meanwhile, other teams like Manchester City and Chelsea have scored many times more. Arsenal, in fact, are one of the worst teams at converting free kicks into goals.

However, Rice's two free-kick goals against Real Madrid could turn the tide. Rice has improved, and what has happened shows he is ready to do things that were previously unthinkable. "It's in my arsenal," Rice confidently stated.

In recent weeks, Rice has gradually demonstrated his confidence in free-kick situations. His first direct free-kick in over a year came in the match against Chelsea in mid-March. Against Everton afterwards, the former West Ham star also tested goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a powerful shot from outside the box.

It's no surprise that Rice is capable of taking excellent free kicks. His free kicks have become a powerful weapon for Arsenal since he was given the task of taking them during last year's winter training camp in Dubai.

Previously, Arsenal's coaching staff primarily favored Rice positioning inside the penalty area during free kicks, utilizing his height to contest headers. However, after training in Dubai, Rice demonstrated accuracy and consistency in free kicks from the left wing.

Rice's progress

Since January 2024, Rice has provided eight assists from free kicks, all with powerful curling shots. Rice's improvement in free-kick ability stems not only from training but also from the overall development of his playing style.

Rice is having his best season in terms of scoring from long-range shots.

Before moving to Arsenal, Rice had scored from long-range shots in his final seasons at West Ham, and his recent goal against Real Madrid is proof of his significant improvement in finishing from outside the box. Rice started taking more long-range shots each season, and now he's ready to unleash those decisive shots in important matches.

Rice is having his best season in terms of scoring from long-range shots. His two goals against Real Madrid helped him achieve a conversion rate of 13% from long-range shots, far exceeding his average of 4.5% in previous seasons.

Despite joining Arsenal for a record-breaking £105 million transfer fee, Rice remains humble in interviews. He admits that he still has much to develop and improve:

"I know I still have a lot of levels I can reach," he said. And through the match against Real Madrid, Rice proved that he is not only an excellent defensive midfielder, but also a complete player who can create dangerous chances from any position on the field.

Certainly, with his continuous improvement in his playing style, Rice will bring many more surprises to Arsenal and football fans around the world.

Source: https://znews.vn/rice-tu-viet-lai-lich-su-cho-rieng-minh-post1544601.html