Stunned Bellingham marvels at ‘quality’ Rice free-kicks as Real Madrid star sends Arsenal ‘crazy’ warning

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham reminded Arsenal that ‘crazy things happen in our house’, despite sending Declan Rice and Arsenal a message after their stunning 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win, while a sporting Carlo Ancelotti also made a big admission about the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta’s side produced the performance of the season – and quite possibly their lives – as Arsenal secured a rampant 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium to put one foot in the competition’s semi-finals. And while Rice’s stunning pair of free-kicks set the tone, with Mikel Merino adding a third, there remains work to do ahead of the second leg.

But while Bellingham joined Arsenal fans the world over in hailing Rice’s show-stopping brilliance, the Real Madrid star admitted that even without those goals, his side were very much second best.

“We were nowhere near it,” Bellingham told Amazon Prime. “That’s the fact and Arsenal were really good.

“I know two of their goals were free-kicks, but they could have had way more.

“There is a second leg, and that’s what we’re holding on to. We need something really special, something crazy really but one place where crazy things happen is our house.

“We’ve got 90 more minutes at home to pull something out of the bag. We’re still alive, we’ve got 90 mins of football and anything can happen at the Bernabeu.”

Rice’s double-whammy left even Bellingham stunned as he admitted: “They’re two great pieces of individual quality and if it wasn’t for them, they still have other chances.

“We got punished and that happens at top-level football. In these games, you need to create more.

“Very rarely do you come to a place like this score one goal and take your lead back home. We didn’t do enough on the ball to threaten.”

READ MORE 🔴⚪ Arsenal fans RAVE over ‘Arteta’s magnum opus’ and Rice ‘turning into prime Beckham’ in Real rout

Sporting Carlo Ancelotti salutes Arsenal as Rice makes admission

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti is the most decorated coach ever in Champions League history with five triumphs, but even he admits his side need something of a miracle to pull the second leg around.

Making a very sporting admission about the Gunners, Ancelotti told the media: “The result means that Arsenal were much better than us.

“The game was a bit different. For 60 minutes the game was level, and then they shoot two fantastic free-kicks. The game it changes.

“The reaction, mentally we went down. We had a problem in the final 30 minutes of the game.

“Now it will be very difficult in the second leg. But we have to try.”

Arsenal’s hero of the hour, Rice, meanwhile, admitted he may find it a little hard to sleep after his wonder-double.

“I don’t know whether it will ever sink in. I’ve gone back to my phone then and it’s gone crazy,” he told Amazon Prime.

“To score my first free-kick in a game is a special one. And then when I got the second one, I just had the confidence. I’m speechless really.

“To beat Real Madrid in this competition. It’s a big night for us.

“The manager just said that then. Even if we’re 3-0 up, the individual quality they have is scary. At the Bernabeu special things happen for them. We want to be in the Champions League semi-finals.”

On whether David Beckham has texted him, Rice added: “I’m not lucky enough to have his number. I’m just so happy.”

On his first free-kick: “We were saying to cross it. When they were over a little bit we saw the space, Bukayo [Saka] said ‘if you feel it, go for it’. I thought, ‘I’m going to take this’.

“When you score a goal, it’s the best feeling in the world. It didn’t make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass and when I saw the wall, it didn’t make sense to cross. You know what, I’m happy I took it because it was magic.”

Arsenal transfer latest: Ekitike warning; hopes of Liverpool raid fading

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, meanwhile, has explained why he thinks Hugo Ekitike is not yet ‘ready’ to fire the Gunners to Premier League glory as their first-choice No.9 next season amid claims Arsenal are plotting a big-money raid on Eintracht Frankfurt.

Another attacker linked with the Gunners is Liverpool frontman Diogo Jota. And while it has been revealed that the Reds are willing to sell the Portuguese star, their hefty asking price, together with the fact that another Premier League suitor is ready to barge Arsenal aside, means a move to Emirates Stadium now looks unlikely for the 28-year-old.

And finally, a high-profile wing target that Arteta is believed to have set his sights on this summer is set to snub Arsenal ahead of signing a different deal elsewhere, per a report.