As the saying goes, a lot can happen in 90 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. But even if the game had gone on much longer, Real Madrid wouldn`t have been able to recover from the setback caused by Declan Rice in the first leg.
Arsenal weren`t going to hand victory to Madrid, and the reigning champions couldn`t seize it themselves. If William Saliba hadn`t been so composed, playing like Arsenal were already winning by a large margin, they could have achieved their fourth consecutive clean sheet against Real Madrid.
When Vinicius Junior scored, and the Bernabeu crowd started to believe in a comeback, Arsenal demonstrated their resilience. For a significant period, they effectively shut down Real Madrid`s attack, making a comeback attempt seem more like a fantasy than a real possibility.
Rice consistently intercepted passes, outmuscled opponents, and drove the ball forward. Myles Lewis-Skelly`s clever feints confused defenders. Even Jakub Kiwior, often seen as a weaker player, confidently controlled the ball with his head to pass back to David Raya.
Bukayo Saka, despite recent fitness struggles, was tirelessly tracking back to his own penalty area to intercept passes. Real Madrid`s star forwards weren`t seen doing similar defensive work.
It wasn`t until the 91st minute that Madrid created a real chance, a shot wide from Endrick. Before that, Arsenal had only been truly troubled once in the tie, when Jude Bellingham set up Kylian Mbappe in the first leg.
This victory was about teamwork and system, not just individual brilliance. Mikel Arteta has spent five years building a team that defends together and enjoys doing it. They weren`t intimidated by talk of a Madrid comeback. They had a plan to win and they executed it perfectly.
Arsenal comfortably dropped into a 4-4-2 defensive formation, conceding space on the wings but trusting Jurrien Timber and Lewis-Skelly in one-on-one situations. When Madrid lost possession, Gabriel Martinelli was ready to launch quick counter-attacks.
He wasn`t rushing his attacks, instead patiently helping Arsenal establish themselves in Madrid`s half, where they could exploit the weakened defense.
Ignoring the penalties, Arsenal clearly dominated the game. They even managed to silence the Bernabeu crowd, a stadium known for intimidating visiting teams.
They were also helped by a disorganized Real Madrid. After their wrongly awarded penalty was overturned, the home team seemed to lose their attacking strategy. Their crosses into the box were aimless. It seems their midfield plan relies on Toni Kroos reversing his retirement, based on these matches.
With only eight games left this season, Carlo Ancelotti, despite his reputation for managing star players, hasn`t found a system to effectively utilize Mbappe and Vinicius together.
Madrid might be looking ahead to next season, but Arsenal are focused on the present. Paris Saint-Germain will be a tougher opponent in the next round, a more exciting matchup for neutral fans. However, Arsenal are prepared. Thomas Partey`s absence will be felt in the first leg, but Jorginho is a capable replacement.
Even if this Champions League run ends here, Arsenal will be back. Over the past three years, they`ve consistently improved after setbacks, pushing their rivals harder. Only a series of injuries slowed them down in the Premier League.
Key players in this Arsenal team are still improving. They now understand their potential. Whenever William Saliba`s status as a top defender is questioned, he can simply show the clip of him denying Mbappe`s close-range shot. Penalty misses seem to motivate Saka, who soon after scored a beautiful chip against Thibaut Courtois. And Rice? He already has a Champions League quarterfinal performance that will be remembered as the `Declan Rice quarterfinals.` At 26, he`s playing like a world-class midfielder.
Arsenal are rightfully among Europe`s elite, a position they haven`t held consistently since the `Invincibles` era. They have achieved their greatest Champions League victory, or at least, their greatest so far.
