Declan Rice has always had the technical ability and physical power required to shoot the ball from distance. When he was a teenager at West Ham United, the senior professionals of the team would frequently encourage him to be more bold when attacking from midfield, to be more willing to let loose from the edge of the box.
That is not to say, though, that Rice was destined to one day produce two sensational free-kicks, within just 12 minutes, against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Evidently, there is a difference between hitting some nice shots in training, and doing what Rice did on Tuesday night.
Rice himself did not seem to fully comprehend how it had happened. After all, he had failed to score with the previous 12 free-kick attempts he had taken in his career. “I don’t know whether it will ever sink in,” he said after the 3-0 victory. “I don’t think it’s going to hit me, what I’ve done tonight.”
Arsenal fans will never forget these two 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 free-kicks… 🤩💫#UCLonPrimepic.twitter.com/DatgM9KUtK
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 9, 2025
Rice’s Arsenal team-mates were also taken aback. “It’s the first time I have seen a good free-kick from Dec,” said William Saliba, the Arsenal centre-back. “I didn’t know [he could do that]. We don’t score a lot of direct free-kicks.”
Arsenal’s previous free-kick goal (not including a Bukayo Saka cross that drifted into the net against Paris St-Germain earlier this season) was back in September 2021, when Martin Odegaard scored away at Burnley. “It has been a long time,” said Mikel Arteta.
Before Tuesday night, Arsenal had scored one of 64 direct free-kick attempts since the start of the 2021/22 season (again, not including Saka against PSG). In that same time, by contrast, Manchester City have scored 10 free-kick goals. Chelsea have scored seven, Newcastle United have scored five and five other Premier League teams have scored four. Arsenal, in other words, have been among the worst teams in the league at converting direct free-kicks into goals.
The two Rice efforts against Madrid, however, were not entirely out of the blue. The timing and nature of them was extraordinary, of course, but it is not a total surprise that the evolution of Rice’s game — particularly from dead-ball situations — has brought him to a point where he is capable of producing such moments. “It’s been in the locker,” he said on Tuesday.
Indeed, there were signs in the past few weeks that Rice was growing in confidence in this area of the game. Against Chelsea in mid-March, he took his first direct free-kick in more than a year. Against Everton on Saturday, he tested Jordan Pickford with a fierce effort from the edge of the box.
Given the quality and accuracy of his corners, it should be no shock that Rice is capable of executing high-class free-kicks. His inswinging deliveries have been a powerful weapon for Arsenal ever since he was given set-piece duties on the club’s winter break in Dubai last season.
Prior to that training camp, Arsenal’s coaching staff had preferred Rice to be in the penalty box at set-pieces, using his height to challenge for headers. That all changed after Dubai, as the England midfielder demonstrated his accuracy and consistency from the left side. He has registered eight set-piece assists since January 2024, all of them with the same whipped technique he used to such devastating effect against Madrid.
As Rice’s set-piece prowess has improved with time, so has his ability to shoot from range. Season after season, he has gradually been adding this skill to his repertoire in matches.
Rice’s first goal from outside the penalty area did not arrive until his fourth season at West Ham, in 2019/20. He then struck twice from range in each of his final two campaigns in east London, from 2021 to 2023, before doing so twice again in 2023/24, his first season since joining Arsenal for £105 million.
In each of the last three campaigns, Rice has taken more shots from outside the box than in the previous year. He has been growing more comfortable in those positions and becoming more willing to do what the older West Ham players encouraged him to do, all those years ago.
Now, having also scored from range against Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup in September, this is now Rice’s best season for goals from distance. His two strikes against Madrid mean he has converted 13 per cent of his long-range efforts this season, compared to a previous career average of 4.5 per cent.
A few weeks after Rice signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2023, he spoke with a small group of newspaper reporters on the club’s pre-season tour in Los Angeles. Despite his enormous transfer fee, and his status as one of Europe’s best players, he made it clear that he was not the finished article. “I know I have so many more levels I can get to,” he said.
Rice knew there was more to come, that there were areas of his game he had not yet showcased on the biggest stage. Against Madrid, he proved it by demonstrating he possesses a level of technique and power that had not previously been seen.
Declan Rice has always had the technical ability and physical power required to shoot the ball from distance. When he was a teenager at West Ham United, the senior professionals of the team would frequently encourage him to be more bold when attacking from midfield, to be more willing to let loose from the edge of the box.
That is not to say, though, that Rice was destined to one day produce two sensational free-kicks, within just 12 minutes, against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Evidently, there is a difference between hitting some nice shots in training, and doing what Rice did on Tuesday night.
Rice himself did not seem to fully comprehend how it had happened. After all, he had failed to score with the previous 12 free-kick attempts he had taken in his career. “I don’t know whether it will ever sink in,” he said after the 3-0 victory. “I don’t think it’s going to hit me, what I’ve done tonight.”
Arsenal fans will never forget these two 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 free-kicks… 🤩💫#UCLonPrimepic.twitter.com/DatgM9KUtK
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 9, 2025
Rice’s Arsenal team-mates were also taken aback. “It’s the first time I have seen a good free-kick from Dec,” said William Saliba, the Arsenal centre-back. “I didn’t know [he could do that]. We don’t score a lot of direct free-kicks.”
Arsenal’s previous free-kick goal (not including a Bukayo Saka cross that drifted into the net against Paris St-Germain earlier this season) was back in September 2021, when Martin Odegaard scored away at Burnley. “It has been a long time,” said Mikel Arteta.
Before Tuesday night, Arsenal had scored one of 64 direct free-kick attempts since the start of the 2021/22 season (again, not including Saka against PSG). In that same time, by contrast, Manchester City have scored 10 free-kick goals. Chelsea have scored seven, Newcastle United have scored five and five other Premier League teams have scored four. Arsenal, in other words, have been among the worst teams in the league at converting direct free-kicks into goals.
The two Rice efforts against Madrid, however, were not entirely out of the blue. The timing and nature of them was extraordinary, of course, but it is not a total surprise that the evolution of Rice’s game — particularly from dead-ball situations — has brought him to a point where he is capable of producing such moments. “It’s been in the locker,” he said on Tuesday.
Indeed, there were signs in the past few weeks that Rice was growing in confidence in this area of the game. Against Chelsea in mid-March, he took his first direct free-kick in more than a year. Against Everton on Saturday, he tested Jordan Pickford with a fierce effort from the edge of the box.
Given the quality and accuracy of his corners, it should be no shock that Rice is capable of executing high-class free-kicks. His inswinging deliveries have been a powerful weapon for Arsenal ever since he was given set-piece duties on the club’s winter break in Dubai last season.
Prior to that training camp, Arsenal’s coaching staff had preferred Rice to be in the penalty box at set-pieces, using his height to challenge for headers. That all changed after Dubai, as the England midfielder demonstrated his accuracy and consistency from the left side. He has registered eight set-piece assists since January 2024, all of them with the same whipped technique he used to such devastating effect against Madrid.
As Rice’s set-piece prowess has improved with time, so has his ability to shoot from range. Season after season, he has gradually been adding this skill to his repertoire in matches.
Rice’s first goal from outside the penalty area did not arrive until his fourth season at West Ham, in 2019/20. He then struck twice from range in each of his final two campaigns in east London, from 2021 to 2023, before doing so twice again in 2023/24, his first season since joining Arsenal for £105 million.
In each of the last three campaigns, Rice has taken more shots from outside the box than in the previous year. He has been growing more comfortable in those positions and becoming more willing to do what the older West Ham players encouraged him to do, all those years ago.
Now, having also scored from range against Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup in September, this is now Rice’s best season for goals from distance. His two strikes against Madrid mean he has converted 13 per cent of his long-range efforts this season, compared to a previous career average of 4.5 per cent.
A few weeks after Rice signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2023, he spoke with a small group of newspaper reporters on the club’s pre-season tour in Los Angeles. Despite his enormous transfer fee, and his status as one of Europe’s best players, he made it clear that he was not the finished article. “I know I have so many more levels I can get to,” he said.
Rice knew there was more to come, that there were areas of his game he had not yet showcased on the biggest stage. Against Madrid, he proved it by demonstrating he possesses a level of technique and power that had not previously been seen.
