Declan Rice curled in a sensational free-kick for Arsenal against Real Madrid to answer a vocal Gunners’ fan’s wishes.
Rice broke the deadlock of a tense game at the Emirates on Tuesday night as he fired in a curling free-kick from distance past the helpless Thibaut Courtois.
The Emirates erupted as Jude Bellingham watched on the big screen with replays of his England team-mate’s fine strike shown, and Rice embraced the celebrations with a knee slide and roar of emotion in front of the home faithful.
It wasn’t just after the goal that Arsenal fans could be heard, though. 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.
Replays showed the ball curl around the Real Madrid wall, showing impressive curl as it bent back around to nestle into the top corner.
Declan Rice scored two stunning goals for Arsenal against Real Madrid in Europe on Tuesday
A fan was heard giving him words of encouragement before he curls in the first effort
Alan Shearer hailed the strike as ‘absolutely brilliant’ as he put his side ahead in north London
‘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.’
And it wasn’t long until Rice was stepping up again. Shearer called for Rice to do ‘exactly the same’ with another free-kick, though on the opposite side, and he did that.
The same curl was on show, though this time the England star leathered his dead ball effort into the top corner from the left side of the goal rather than the right.
Martin Odegaard was left with his hands on his head, mirroring the reaction of several fans both inside and outside the ground.
Gunners supporters were in dreamland moments later – as Martin Lewis-Skelly teed up Mikel Merino to make it three.
