Arsenal prove true Champions League contender status in dismantling of mighty Real Madrid

They were right, 90 minutes is a long time in the Santiago Bernabeu. Still, even if VAR had extended this to 390 minutes, it would not have been close enough for Real Madrid to climb back in a draw that was rented by Declan Rice eight days ago.

If Arsenal did not give it to Madrid, the champions would never get it for themselves. If William Saliba had not been with the Insouciance of a man whose side was 4-0 against Real Madrid, the Gunners would have made the four clean sheets on the spin against this most August of the opponents.

When Vinicius Junior jumped and when the Bernabeu began to hope again, it was when you saw what Arsenal was made of. For 15 minutes, maybe more, nothing happened. Or at least nothing that in any way the prospect of a re -assemble That even before the game looked more like a wish than like a real prospect.

Rice intercepted, bullied and drove up the field. Myles Lewis-Skelly formed to go in a way and again bought his defender. Jakub Kiwior, the supposed weak link, did the head to get the ball back to David Raya.

Regarding the man who had silenced the Spanish capital, Bukayo Saka, who would have the right to take it easy, given the slog to even return to fitness on time for these games, he was back in his own penalty area that distinguished an attempt at a ball. It is sufficient to say that you have not seen any of the famous front of Madrid who did such a dirty work.

Only when Endrick’s ride was wide in the 91st minute did Madrid create their first half -quality effort of the night, the first occasion Arsenal was cut by the excellence of the other team since Jude Bellingham Kylian Mbappe searched for half an hour with the Emirates.

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Roger Gonzalez

This was a triumph of the system about individual power. For five years, Mikel Arteta builds a direction that not only defends as a unit, but enjoys this. The conversation of the re -assemble Never seemed to come to them. There was a plan to beat Madrid and they applied it.

Arsenal fell at their leisure in their 4-4-2 block and gave up the flanks, supported the excellent Jurrien-Hout and Lewis-Skelly in their one-on-one draws. When Madrid turned the ball, as they often did, Gabriel Martinelli was ready to jump away.

He did not lead crazy escapes and would not be dragged by seeing the goal until he flew through to win the game. More often than not, he was willing to take his time to set up Arsenal in the last third part where they could choose from an undercarried opposition.

Let the penalties aside and this game was that of Arsenal. When they had to get the road-ended, they could do that, so that the air removed from a ground that would frighten life from them.

They were helped by an unfortunate opponent. From the moment that their punishment that should never have been destroyed, the hosts lost some feeling of what they intended to do in the attack. After crossing the box, cross, aimed at, UMM? Perhaps it is logical to make the easy option to lobe it in the mixer. Based on these games, their plan seems to be to continue the ball through midfield to convince Toni Kroos to retire.

Eight games left in this season and Carlo Ancelotti, the Great Star Whisperer, has still not succeeded in finding a system in which Mbappe and Vinicius can at least be the sum of their parts.

The Spirit of Madrid can drive to the following season, Arsenal’s will be firmly placed on the NOW. Paris Saint-Germain will be a much larger test and the draw itself should be more fascinating for the neutral, the seven seconds or-most-linder Phoenix Suns against the Chicago Bears from 1985. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will not wave Saka and Martinelli through it. Thomas Partey will be missed in the first stage, although Jorginho should not be sniffed as alternatives.

And even if this semi -final goes wrong, it won’t be long before Arsenal is back there. This is a team that has responded to almost every setback in the past three years, has been thrown at them by getting better and pushing their rivals further. Only a real banjaxing set injuries suppressed them in the Premier League.

At least some of the cornerstones of this team have their best years for them. Now they will know how much they can achieve. Every time William Saliba sees his status as the best center on the planet, he only has to show them the clip of him who steps over Mbappe to change a shot up close to a target kick. Penalty missers seem to get the best from Saka, who only had to wait an hour or so to successfully chip Thibaut Courtois. Rice? Well, he already has a Champions League -equal game that will fall like the quarterfinals of Declan Rice. At 26 he plays as one of the two or three best midfielders in the world.

Arsenal belongs at the highest level in a way they have not had since the invincibles have breaked apart. They have delivered the best Champions League triumph that this club has seen. Or at least has seen so far.