Declan Rice's Goals Leave Fans in Awe, Power Arsenal Past Real Madrid in UCL 1st Leg
Andrew Peters
Apr 8, 2025
Arsenal won their UEFA Champions League first-leg matchup after a dominant showing against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Arsenal downed the Champions League holders 3-0 behind a pair of goals from Declan Rice and a goal from Mikel Merino.
Both teams had their share of chances in the first half, with Arsenal getting six shots off with four on target and Real Madrid taking five shots with two on target. Ultimately, neither team found the back of the net before the halftime break.
Arsenal have been the better side at HT, however they’ve got to bury those chances, it’s Madrid few moments of magic and it’s game over.
Real Madrid got the first look at goal in the second half when Kylian Mbappé's third shot of the game went into the side of the net in the 52nd minute. A few moments later, Arsenal broke the tie in the 58th minute with a goal from Rice off of a free kick.
After the spectacular go-ahead goal, Rice decided he wasn't done yet. In the 70th minute, he scored again on another free kick, this time finding the top corner to make it 2-0.
Real Madrid can almost always come back from a deficit to stay in a match, but they didn't have enough on Tuesday, and it resulted in a spectacular win for Arsenal. Real Madrid will have the chance to bounce back from the loss as the two teams will meet again on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET for a second leg matchup.
If Arsenal can keep their momentum going into Wednesday's meeting, it could be another dominant showing.
Report: Riccardo Calafiori to Join Arsenal from Bologna; $49M Transfer Fee Agreed
Jul 20, 2024
LEIPZIG, GERMANY - JUNE 24: Riccardo Calafiori of Italy during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Croatia and Italy at Football Stadium Leipzig on June 24, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly set to land Riccardo Calafiori after reaching an agreement with Bologna on a transfer fee that will send the defender to north London.
Per soccer insider Fabrizio Romano, the two clubs agreed to the $49 million transfer fee that includes $5.4 million in add-ons and a sell-on clause.
The final step in the process will be getting Basel and Bologna to agree to the 50 percent sell-on payment terms before Calafiori can officially join Arsenal.
The Athletic's David Ornstein previously reported Arsenal were "accelerating" its efforts to sign Calafiori, with the goal of getting a deal done as soon as possible.
Calafiori joined Basel on a permanent transfer in August 2022 after he spent the previous four years in Serie A with Roma. The 22-year-old signed with Bologna last August.
Per Samuel Meade of The Mirror, Bologna was threatening to call off the deal with Arsenal because it wanted Basel to accept less than the 50 percent fee it was owed as part of the original agreement for Calafiori.
Calafiori can play either center-back or left-back for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta has prioritized positional flexibility as he has built up his squad, influenced in part by his time at Manchester City, which has had success using four center-backs in defense.
The addition of Calafiori would also give Arteta another potential starting option at left-back alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jurriën Timber. Timber is still working his way back after tore his ACL last August and was only able to return to action in the final Premier League match of the season against Everton.
Calafiori would also be a rotation option at center-back, where Gabriel and William Saliba have combined to form one of the Premier League's top defensive partnerships.
Calafiori appeared in 30 matches for Bologna during the 2023-24 Serie A season. He finished with two goals and five assists, helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1964.
Arsenal finished second to Man City in the 2023-24 Premier League standings. The Gunners reached the round of 16 in the Champions League before losing to Bayern Munich 3-2 on aggregate.
Arteta's club will open the 2024-25 Premier League season on Aug. 17 against Wolves. Depending on how quickly the remaining hurdles get cleared, Calafiori could potentially be on the pitch in a Gunners jersey for that match.
Arsenal Unveil Home Kits in Epic Video, Photos for 'Year of the Cannon' for 2024-25
May 16, 2024
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 06: The Arsenal club crest on the first team home shirt displayed on May 6, 2020 in Manchester, England (Photo by Visionhaus)
A new era is here at Arsenal.
Adidas revealed Arsenal's kits for the 2024-25 season Thursday, with the most noteworthy change being the club crest being replaced by the iconic cannon logo.
The Year of the Cannon 🔴⚪️
Our new 24/25 Arsenal x @adidasFootball home kit is available now 👇
It is the first time since the 1989-90 season that Arsenal's home kit has featured the cannon logo rather than the team crest. Arsenal also debuted a short film along with the new jerseys.
"Starring our first-team stars, the launch film features our players in significant landmarks across Emirates Stadium – from the electric North Bank to the home changing room – and explores what the famous symbol means to both our players and supporters alike," Arsenal said in a statement.
The are available for purchase Thursday and will make their debut over the weekend when the Arsenal women's club takes on Brighton. According to a statement by Adidas, the cannon will be featured on the home, away and third kits for just the 2024-25 season.
"Since joining Arsenal, it has been clear to me how important the cannon is, to this great club and our supporters. It epitomizes our spirit and we're excited to wear it on the pitch with pride next season," forward Gabriel Martinelli said in a statement.
Arsenal closes its 2023-24 Premier League season Sunday against Everton. The club will have a chance to win the Premiership with a win over Everton and a Manchester City loss to West Ham.
Arsenal Fans Demand New Striker Signing in Summer After UCL QF Loss vs. Bayern Munich
Apr 17, 2024
MUNICH, GERMANY - APRIL 17: Kai Havertz of Arsenal FC and Declan Rice of Arsenal FC look dejected during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match between FC Bayern München and Arsenal FC at Allianz Arena on April 17, 2024 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Silas Schueller/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Arsenal remains within striking distance of Manchester City in the Premier League title race, but a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich potentially exposed how much work is still ahead for manager Mikel Arteta to make the club a serious threat in the Champions League again.
The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie. On Wednesday, Joshua Kimmich's header in the 63rd minute was enough to propel Bayern to the semis.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 17, 2024
Arsenal's Kai Havertz has had his moments this season. His nine goals and five assists in the Premier League are already his most in a single season since coming to England in 2020-21. The club, meanwhile, has the second-highest goal tally in the PL.
However, the Gunners were badly missing the cutting edge with Havertz leading the line, which has occasionally been the case when the German lines up as the central striker. Gabriel Jesus' introduction in the 68th minute did little to change things.
Not surprisingly, supporters used Wednesday's defeat to renew calls for reinforcements in the summer:
We’ve scored a ton of goals this season but I can’t shake the feeling we aren’t as threatening as we need to be overall. Was an issue to start the season and it’s resurfacing this week
Arsenal need a prolific, goal-laden striker. I think we can all stop kidding ourselves otherwise now, no matter how virtuous it feels to try and buck perceived wisdom…
Just under 15 minutes left of the 90. Arsenal haven't looked like scoring at all in this half, that has to change quickly if they are make life difficult for Bayern.
Attack just isn’t good enough that’s the long and the short of it. Can’t keep basically relying on 2 guys and hoping the others can show up on a given day
Arteta has to coach a PERFECT game for Arsenal to win and even when he does, it can still not be enough. Theres a lack of Superstar Xfactor in the team.
Especially if Arsenal fail to overtake Manchester City in the Premier League, Wednesday's match will sting even more in retrospect. Bayern Munich is as vulnerable as it's been in years, yet Arsenal could hardly muster anything in the final third with the tie hanging in the balance.
Just remember in the biggest game of Arteta’s arsenal career Eric Dier was man of the match
Third season in a row we crumble in April. People will call it bottling but it’s a result of the same 13/14 players playing all the time and the rest of the squad not being good enough or available enough.
Heading into last summer, Arteta and his staff had a clear target in mind when it came to the transfer market. They knew Declan Rice was exactly the kind of player they needed in the midfield, and he has been worth every penny so far.
Looking ahead to the next window, there isn't the same kind of obvious answer to what remains a glaring issue. It's easy enough to say Arsenal could use a traditional centre-forward, but identifying one who seamlessly fits into Arteta's system is much more difficult.
Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar will have their work cut out for them.
Arsenal Fans Relieved After Salvaging Draw vs. Bayern Munich in UCL QF 1st Leg
Apr 9, 2024
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 09: Leandro Trossard of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Kai Havertz after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern München at Emirates Stadium on April 09, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
The 2024 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals matchup between Arsenal and Bayern Munich will all come down to the second leg.
The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in Tuesday's first leg at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, meaning Bayern Munich will have the opportunity to advance with a home victory.
Bukayo Saka scored the opening goal for the Gunners, but Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane answered to put the visitors ahead. Just when it looked like Bayern Munich would steal a road win, Leandro Trossard scored the final goal on a chance created by Gabriel Jesus to salvage a draw.
There was no shortage of reaction from social media, including some relief from Arsenal fans that their side emerged with a draw:
Leandro Trossard sends North London into a frenzy!
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 9, 2024
This is not a bad result at all. We got rightfully punished for our silly moments but also did well in spells. Bayern unlucky to hit the post in the end. Arsenal unlucky not to have a penalty. All to play for and the boys can be proud for digging in after 2-1 down. Onwards.
I’m not sure what people expected but we were never gonna have it all our own way against Bayern in the CL QF. We did well and I’m very sure we have enough for them in Munich. We’ll see
A very high level game of football where our moments of huge quality were cancelled out by our moments of disappointing errors. I still back us to progress.
Arsenal was the side that entered Tuesday's match in better form.
The Gunners are atop the Premier League table and in a fierce battle with Liverpool and Manchester City. They were also coming off consecutive wins against Luton Town and
Brighton & Hove Albion following a scoreless draw with Manchester City.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is well behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table and dropped their previous two matches. Still the Champions League was a fresh slate for Kane's side even if this matchup meant the Arsenal fans consistently jeered the former star for rival Tottenham.
Those jeers quickly turned into cheers with a fast start, as Saka opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a beautiful left-footed strike that curled into the bottom corner of the net off a perfectly placed assist from Ben White. Throw in Alphonso Davies' early yellow card, which leaves him suspended for the second leg, and Arsenal couldn't have asked for a better start.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 9, 2024
However, an ugly turnover from the home side ended that momentum. Leon Goretzka took full advantage with a through ball to Gnabry, who buried the equalizer against his former club in the 18th minute.
As if that wasn't bad enough for the Arsenal supporters, Kane capitalized on a penalty kick to put the visitors in the lead in the 32nd minute.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 9, 2024
While the explosive start stalled into a stagnant back and forth for much of the second half with Bayern Munich committing additional defenders to the back end, Arsenal finally found some magic when Jesus knifed his way through multiple defenders and set up Trossard for the equalizer in the 76th minute.
The frustrated crowd came to life with the goal, but Arsenal was unable to capitalize on the additional energy down the stretch despite a controversial ending that almost saw a penalty on Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Bayern Munich also almost scored when Kingsley Coman hit the post in stoppage time, but the final whistle blew with the score still tied.
The two sides will have to decide it at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena on Wednesday, April 17, in the second leg.
Arsenal's Frida Maanum in Stable Condition After Collapsing in Conti Cup vs. Chelsea
Mar 31, 2024
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: Frida Maanum of Arsenal (C) lies injured while is assisted by medics during the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup Final match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Molineux on March 31, 2024 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Arsenal offered an update on Frida Maanum after she collapsed off the ball during the 95th minute of the club's 1-0 triumph over Chelsea in the Conti Cup final, saying she's "conscious" and in "stable condition," per multiple reports.
Frida Maanum is "conscious, talking and in a stable condition" after being stretchered off following medical treatment during the Conti Cup final pic.twitter.com/B2SJNhqPI6
"She will continue to be monitored closely by our medical team," an Arsenal spokesperson told ESPN's Emily Keogh.
Maanum was administered oxygen on the pitch and treated for eight to nine minutes before eventually was taken off on a stretcher. She was replaced by Alessia Russo.
"Of course, it looks very scary when Frida goes down. It's very easy to have the focus and emotions drawn at that point," head coach Jonas Eidevall told reporters. "But the reality is we have an excellent medical team, and they're going to look after that situation and we need to focus on football, and we were able to do that."
"The first thing after the game, we don't care about winning we care about how is it with Frida?" he added. "And so happy that she's doing well. That's much more important than this."
Maanum's best friend, Stina Blackstenius, scored the game-winning goal for the Gunners in extra time.
"I think it was written in the stars that her best mate went and scored the winner for her," Russo told reporters. "Frida is a massive player and plays with every single bit of her body, she did that again today and we just hope she is OK."
Maanum, 24, has made 28 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
Report: Arsenal Agrees to $133M Declan Rice Transfer After Manchester City Rumors
Jun 28, 2023
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 19: Declan Rice of England after his sides 7-0 win during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group C match between England and North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)
The Gunners got their man.
Arsenal has agreed to a deal with West Ham United for the transfer of Declan Rice after Manchester City pulled out of the race for the English midfielder, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.
Arsenal will pay £105 million, or nearly $133 million, for the transfer of Rice. The fee will be a Premier League record for a British player.
Manchester City initially matched Arsenal's £90 million proposal for Rice, but both bids were rejected, and the Gunners then increased their offer to £100 million and an extra £5 million in add-ons.
Rice debuted with West Ham in 2017 and he made 245 appearances for the club. He has been one of the best midfielders in Europe with his ability to break up play on the defensive end and turn it around on the attack.
The 24-year-old helped the Hammers to a seventh place finish in the Premier League in 2022-23 and a 2-1 victory in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina earlier this month.
Following the club's victory over Fiorentina, West Ham chairman David Sullivan told reporters that Rice likely had played his last game for the Hammers and that he "wants to go."
"We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season," Sullivan said. "In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement — or several replacements.
"It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000 a week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It's cost him £10 million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go.
"You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
After finishing second in the Premier League to Manchester City last season, the Gunners have made it a priority to bring reinforcements to London this summer.
In addition to the transfer of Rice, the club agreed to a long-term contract with forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea and is also reportedly in "advanced talks" to sign Ajax defender Jurien Timber.
Fan Arrested for Allegedly Shining Laser at Mykhailo Mudryk at Arsenal vs. Chelsea
May 3, 2023
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 02: Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on May 02, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
A 21-year-old man was arrested during Tuesday's match between Arsenal and Chelsea for allegedly shining a laser in Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk's face.
According to Ali Rampling of The Athletic, the Metropolitan Police said the man was arrested on "suspicion of a public order offense."
During Arsenal's 3-1 home win over Chelsea at Emirates Stadium in London on Tuesday, Mudryk came on as a substitute in the 71st minute. Almost immediately upon entering the pitch, a green light could be seen shining on Mudryk's face.
A 21-year-old Arsenal fan has been arrested on suspicion of shining a laser at Mykhaylo Mudryk during Chelsea’s loss on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/NrFnu9tskc
Per Rampling, Arsenal fans heavily booed Mudryk, likely due to his decision to join Chelsea on an £88.7 million transfer in January after consistent speculation that Arsenal would sign him.
An Arsenal spokesperson released a statement on the laser incident and subsequent arrest, saying: "An arrest has been made following the use of a laser during last night's match. This behavior is dangerous and totally unacceptable, and we will fully support the police with their enquiries and take action as appropriate."
The 22-year-old Mudryk largely starred at FC Shakhtar Donetsk in his native Ukraine before becoming available on the transfer market and choosing Chelsea over several other interested clubs, including Arsenal.
Mudryk has yet to score a goal in 11 EPL appearances for Chelsea, but he scored seven times in 12 matches for Shakhtar Donetsk this season before joining the Blues.
While landing Mudryk was potentially a major coup for Chelsea, it has been a nightmarish 2022-23 season for the club overall.
They are 12th in the EPL standings with just 39 points, whereas Arsenal are atop the table with 78 points, although Manchester City are just two points behind with two matches in hand.
If Chelsea remain in their current spot in the standings, it will mark their worst finish since a 14th-place result during the 1993-94 Premier League season.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal Reportedly Agree to Terms on New Long-Term Contract
Feb 23, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on February 18, 2023 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
One of the brightest young talents in world football is sticking with Arsenal.
The Athletic's David Ornstein reported Thursday that Bukayo Saka "is set to commit his future to Arsenal by reaching an agreement in principle over a new long-term contract. The deal has not yet been signed and may take some time to finalize, but it is now in place and will come as a huge boost to the club."
Saka, 21, has emerged as both a key figure for the Premier League-leading Gunners and for the English national team. He's notched 10 goals and eight assists in 31 appearances in all competitions this season, adding nine goals in league play.
💫 Bukayo Saka's Premier League record vs the other 'Big 6' teams:
🔵 vs Chelsea ⚽⚽🅰️ 🔴 vs Liverpool ⚽⚽ 🔷 vs Man City ⚽⚽ 👹 vs Man Utd ⚽⚽⚽🅰️🅰️ ⚪ vs Tottenham ⚽🅰️🅰️
That leads Arsenal, with Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard (eight apiece) a close second. His eight assists are also tops in league play, with Ødegaard again nipping at his heels with seven.
With the 21-year-old Martinelli also agreeing to a long-term extension recently, Arsenal have locked down two of the top young wingers in world for the foreseeable future.
Tough to put it into words how huge it is for Arsenal that Saka’s new deal is imminent. Just massive for the club. Still a few details to be sorted, but biggest hurdles have been overcome. With Martinelli, two of football’s top talents committed on long term deals. Massive.
Arsenal has slowly and steadily built an impressive young core, with Saka, Martinelli, William Saliba (21), Eddie Nketiah (23), Ødegaard (24), Aaron Ramsdale (24), Ben White (25), Gabriel (25) and Gabriel Jesus (25) all playing key roles.
Emile Smith Rowe (22) is also an important young player, though injuries have largely kept him off the pitch.
As for the terms of Saka's pending long-term extension, Ornstein reported that "Arsenal activated an option to extend Saka's career at the Emirates Stadium until 2024, but the fresh terms will supersede that and see them retain an academy graduate who would have been highly sought after had he been on the market."
As Arsenal push for a title, Saka will remain instrumental in whether they achieve it. But as Mikel Arteta reshapes Arsenal after years of struggles in the post-Arsene Wenger era, Saka is the face of that project.
And once his extension is official, will stay that way for a while.
