Owen Hargreaves praises Declan Rice’s ‘flawless’ free-kick following his ‘fantastic’ two-goal performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Owen Hargreaves has praised Declan Rice’s free kicks as “too perfect” after the midfielder’s stunning brace helped Arsenal secure a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday night.

The Gunners turned the tide in the second half, with Rice netting two goals and Mikel Merino adding another, giving Arsenal a solid advantage ahead of the second leg in Madrid next week, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Many had anticipated a win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in London, but Mikel Arteta’s men delivered a commanding performance, largely thanks to their inspirational England midfielder.

Rice’s first free-kick, taken in the 58th minute, was expertly curled around the Real Madrid wall, leaving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with little chance to intervene. Hargreaves drew a comparison to a former England great, stating, “The set piece coach gets a lot of love. Let’s give Declan Rice a lot of love. Out of nowhere, he turns into David Beckham.”

However, it was Rice’s second goal that truly took the breath away. In the 70th minute, he struck a curling effort into the top corner to Courtois’ left, with the Belgian goalkeeper unable to react in time.

Hargreaves was effusive in his praise for the strike, saying, “The second one is, when you see it, you think, ‘No way.’ It’s too perfect, against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. To be fair, it’s the keeper’s corner, but even if he’d had his double in the corner, he wouldn’t have saved it.”

He continued, “You dream of that. Everyone thinks he’s going left, he whips it into the top right. It’s so inch-perfect into this corner. He doesn’t get anywhere near it. It’s impossible to save. What amazing timing from Dec, to do it in such a big moment. Absolute brilliance, it really was.”

In the studio alongside Hargreaves, former Chelsea and West Ham winger Joe Cole remarked that Rice’s free kick had shifted the dynamics of the tournament. With Real Madrid, who saw Eduardo Camavinga sent off late in the match, now facing an uphill battle, Cole stated, “The second one is as good a free kick as you’ll see. It’s opened up the Champions League. This game ain’t finished, but what a performance from Arsenal.”