Arsenal manager Mikel Artet said that his party was “ready to write his own history” after the first stage of this season of the quarterfinals hit the 15 -fold winner of the Champions League of Real Madrid.
Arsenal continued his winning run against Los Blancos, who excluded them in the last 16 years at their only previous meeting in 2006, with stunning performance and the result in the Emirates that Paul Merson described as the best in the 19 -year history of the stadium.
After winning 3-0, Artta left doubts about the size of the result.
“If you haven’t played this team for 20 years, you didn’t have the right run in this competition, you have to be ready to write your own history,” he said.
“It’s at night like this that you can write your own history. It came from the collective and individual quality of our players. And now we have a lot more.”
Artta was a remark about caution, repeatedly reminded his players – and the wider world – that was still a half -time in a tie before the second week of Bernabe.
“We will enjoy the victory, but we know it is half -time and we will have to be even better in Madrid,” he added. “I was very convinced (that could happen). I felt when building so we could cause a lot of problems.
Rice scored two stunning free kicks
“But you have to happen. If you have this thinking and belief that it can happen, you can deliver it. We did it, but it’s just half -time.”
Arsenal chief said that both the collective performance of his party and the “moments of magic” were a difference at night and doubled DEClan Rice – his first direct goals from free kicks – but revealed that his dead ball was long in his creation.
“Declan was very determined because we have said in the last few months that we have not received a direct free kick in three and a half years,” he said.
“So, to get two goals in 12 minutes of this size and this quality from the same player, a player who never got a free kick in his career, what are the chances?
“This night was about two factors; one is the atmosphere we created 15 minutes before the start of something I haven’t seen before. And then magic, individual moments that make decisions about all matches. And the first two goals from Declan summarize the night.”
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Watch the best of Sky Sports News’ Paul Merson to respond to Arsenal’s victory over Real Madrid he described as “the biggest night in the Emirates”
Anecelotti: We fought physically and mentally
Carlo Ancelotti pulled out several strokes after scoring three goals in the second half of minutes to score his team to give Real Madrid a huge homework in the second leg next week.
The veteran chief, who won more champions league medals as a manager than anyone else, admitted that Real could not react after he lagged to Rice’s free kick – and was left to watch frustrated because Mikel Merino failed any answer.
“It was very difficult for us. We thought the team was coming to the game, in the first half we were organized,” he said.
“After two goals we admitted from free kicks, the team fought mentally and physically. The level dropped.
“It was difficult, it finished the game in this way. Normally this team increases its game to the end of the games, it was disappointing and poor.
“We must be critical of ourselves and do everything we can next week to recover.”
Given the Real’s Comeback record in Europe in recent years, they will have questions about whether they can make another historical night next week, but Ancelotti advanced to the semifinals after such a bruised first leg.
“The possibilities are relatively low, but we have to try 100 percent and do everything we can,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity to show a reaction to a clean game.”
