Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was among those stunned as he watched the Gunners secure a huge victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The whole of Europe was shocked as Declan Rice’s free-kick brace and Mikel Merino’s strike gave Arsenal a 3-0 lead over Real Madrid.
There is still a huge second leg ahead, which Mikel Arteta will be keen to get through without any hassle, but the advantage is firmly in his side’s hands.
While there were plenty of standout performances in the Arsenal side, Thierry Henry has singled out one star for plenty of praise.
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Thierry Henry praises “crazy” Declan Rice performance against Real Madrid
After Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid, plenty flocked to give praise to Declan Rice for his individual moments of quality.
The free-kicks will be remembered for years to come, even though there will be a big second leg coming up.
Speaking after the game to Rice, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry singled him out for plenty of praise on CBS Sports.
“First and foremost, the game that you had, it was crazy the way you played,” the Frenchman said in the interview.
“It looked like you played the game because you wanted to prove a point. I don’t know to who, to your teammates, the fans or some people, I don’t know. But you were possessed tonight.”
It shows the level that Rice has managed to hit in one of the biggest games at the Emirates Stadium.
What Mikel Arteta said about Declan Rice’s free-kicks
It was an incredible event to see a free-kick of top quality ripple the back of the net, but Rice managed it not just once, but twice.
Such a feat has caused plenty of reaction, with Mikel Arteta giving his thoughts to the press after the match.
The Arsenal boss said: “He’s been very determined because we have talked in the last few months, we haven’t scored a direct free kick since September 2021; Burnley away, Martin Odegaard.
“So it’s been a long time, so to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free kick before in his career, I mean, what are the odds?
“But he’s done it tonight, and I’m a big believer. I think the crowd played something with the energy that they put in, and it helped us massively to win the game.”
Rice has given Arsenal the upper hand, but the job is far from over.
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