{"id":244314,"date":"2025-04-17T05:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T05:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peoplebugs.com\/sports\/champions-league-artetas-arsenal-come-of-age-with-masterclass-against-real-madrid\/"},"modified":"2025-04-17T06:38:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T06:38:32","slug":"champions-league-artetas-arsenal-come-of-age-with-masterclass-against-real-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peoplebugs.com\/sports\/champions-league-artetas-arsenal-come-of-age-with-masterclass-against-real-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Champions League | Arteta\u2019s Arsenal come of age with masterclass against Real Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard celebrate after the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League on April 16, 2025
\n | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Arsenal dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid<\/a> sent the Gunners into the semifinals for the first time since 2009.<\/p>\n

A commanding 3-0 first leg victory<\/a>, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks, laid the foundations in London.<\/p>\n

But a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday (April 16, 2025) was a coming-of-age performance for Mikel Arteta\u2019s rising stars.<\/p>\n

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Arteta\u2019s only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup just months into his reign.<\/p>\n

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.<\/p>\n

Going to do special things: Declan Rice<\/h4>\n

\u201cI sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,\u201d said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club record \u00a3105 million ($139 million) in 2023.<\/p>\n

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Saka or Kane \u26bd <\/p>\n

Who scored the best goal?@Heineken<\/a> | #UCLGOTD<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/WecAp0ScIa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThis club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager – he\u2019s unbelievable!\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger\u2019s reign.<\/p>\n

Between 2000 and 2017 they never failed to qualify for Europe\u2019s elite competition. But when that run came to an end, they spent six years without Champions League football.<\/p>\n

Slowly Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.<\/p>\n

Saka\u2019s star turn<\/h4>\n

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him.<\/p>\n

Saka\u2019s early spot-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Madrid belief another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.<\/p>\n

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian \u2018keeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.<\/p>\n

William Saliba blotted what was an otherwise flawless display over two legs to shut down his French international team-mate Kylian Mbappe moments later as Vinicius Junior pounced to bring Real level.<\/p>\n

Rice \u2018immense\u2019<\/h4>\n

But even then Arsenal were unflustered and quickly snuffed out any Madrid momentum. Full-backs Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo out wide.<\/p>\n

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Back-to-back POTMs vs Real Madrid \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8#UCL<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/ylytP6W2pe<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

And Rice won the midfield battle against his England team-mate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that saw him crowned man of the match in both legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight he was immense,\u201d said Arteta. \u201cIn the moment that the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Premier League<\/h4>\n

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have fallen just short to an all-conquering Manchester City in the Premier League title race. They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.<\/p>\n

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the major piece of silverware that his project is still missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a special night for this club, it\u2019s a historic night for this club,\u201d added Rice. \u201cWe have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

PSG awaits<\/h4>\n

One of Arteta\u2019s former clubs as a player, Paris Saint-Germain, await in the last four of a wide open competition.<\/p>\n

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The semi-finals are set \u2705<\/p>\n

Sim the knockouts & choose your champions! \ud83d\udc47#UCLbracket<\/a> | @cryptocom<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

None of the clubs remaining have won the competition for at least a decade as Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semi-final.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the third time in our history that we\u2019ve done what we\u2019ve just done (reaching the semi-finals),\u201d added Arteta. \u201cSo we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It\u2019s a really young team that is very determined.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Published – April 17, 2025 11:13 am IST<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n