Arteta: What Rice Did is Amazing, and This is What We Want in the Return Leg

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appeared in a press conference after the 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium.

The coach said: "It's very nice. I feel a great deal of happiness and pride for the team. We have the opportunity to make a lot of people feel proud, and we certainly did that. I've never seen the stadium like this before. Before the match started, they were already singing as if they were in the heart of the game. In big European nights, you need massive stadiums to create the atmosphere, and you need individual magical moments, and that’s exactly what happened."

He added: "This is the beauty of those who invented this sport. We hadn’t scored from a free kick since September 2021, and today, against Real Madrid on our home ground, we scored two goals from free kicks in 13 minutes."

Regarding the team's set-piece coach celebrating after the goal: "He can take credit for it if he wants, that's fine. It's amazing."

He continued: "If there's a player who can execute that with such precision, it's Declan. But you have to execute it at the highest possible level, especially against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. That's remarkable."

On Bukayo Saka's performance: "He was a key element. Once again, he raises the level of the team. There’s an element of intimidation every time he touches the ball. Teams defend against him, and that creates spaces. [Regarding his substitution] He’s fine, I think it’s just a slight knock."

On the return leg: "Well, we have to go there, we know we need to raise our level again, and we will strive to win. It’s another step in the right direction as a team. We need to take an extra step and repeat what we did tonight."