BEND IT LIKE DECLAN

THIS will go down as the best night the Emirates has ever seen.

-  JOHN CROSS

The night when Arsenal humbled the 15-time European champions as they put one foot in the Champions League semi-finals.

Two incredible Declan Rice free-kicks saw the place erupt in pure joy as the fans went wild.

Then Mikel Merino grabbed a third and sealed a comprehensive victory to take to the Bernabeu next week.

No wonder the Arsenal fans were singing. "Declan Rice - we got him at half price". The £105million midfielder delivered an unforgettable performance.

And no wonder after his first - a stunning 20-yard effort which went right outside the wall and in again - the TV cameras panned to Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos up in the stands. Both free-kicks - scored from a similar area on the edge of the box within the space of 12 minutes were straight out of the former Brazil star's repertoire.

Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover looked as if he told Rice to put some whip on the ball - and the England star obliged. Twice.

And if there were any doubts about whether Arsenal could overcome mighty Real Madrid, there should not be now.

Arsenal were better than Real Madrid and, after Rice broke the deadlock, they completely overwhelmed them.