Arsenal’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals sent shockwaves across Spain—though perhaps not in Barcelona, where a few fans might have quietly enjoyed their arch-rivals being humbled.
Few expected the Gunners to deliver such a dominant performance against the reigning European champions. But at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s side executed their game plan to perfection. They played with energy, precision, and fearlessness, dismantling a Madrid team packed with experience and star power.
The atmosphere in North London was electric, with Arsenal fans creating a wall of noise and support from the first whistle to the last. It was the kind of night that will be remembered by supporters for years to come—and equally, one that Madrid fans will want to forget quickly.
According to Independent Sport, the Spanish media went into meltdown in the aftermath of the match, stunned by how convincingly their biggest club had been outplayed. Mundo Deportivo led with the damning headline: “Humiliated.” Sport didn’t hold back either, writing that Madrid were “Really hurting.” Meanwhile, AS struck a more defiant tone: “Obliged to perform another miracle.”
There’s no doubt Madrid will look to mount a comeback in the return leg. After all, they’ve performed miracles in Europe before, and the Bernabéu is known for unforgettable nights. But Arsenal’s job is far from done. As impressive as the home leg was, Arteta will know that the only way to truly finish this off is to go to Madrid with the same mentality—to win again, not just to defend a lead.
Madrid still possesses the talent to punish any lapse in focus. But Arsenal proved they belong on this stage. Now, they just need one more fearless performance to prove they’re ready to go all the way.
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Arteta is from Spain and he will prevail,new tactics loading ,this guy is football genius ,he leaves even Arsenal fans surprised on how he does it.
Not sure I agree that the plan was “executed to perfection”.
There were a couple of moments when mistakes let Mbappe have good chances. He muffed them both, and was ultimately deemed to be offside for one of them, but if he scores there it’s a different game – and a different tie overall.
Players grew in confidence as the game went on and the performance got better, especially in the second half. Success breeds success, as they say.
Kiwior in particular should grow from this, he started slightly shakily but his stats by the end were impressive. One of the early errors was Kiwior’s I think, but he didn’t let it get to him, he recovered and played well over the 90 minutes.
Most armchair pundits were shouting that Arteta should play either White or Timber at CB so once again, the manager shows us that he’s the manager for a reason.
Considering this was a patched-up defence and a makeshift striker, this was pretty good stuff whichever way you look at it.
the second away leg will be different, but I hope we keep
the players on the ground and focused.. Modric is getting
on in age and Partey can rule the middle.. Ode needs to
put his stamp on the game more,
Arsenal has a golden opportunity to strike against Madrid at home! With Madrid likely to push their players forward, the Gunners must be sharp and ready to exploit any gaps in their defense. It’s time for them to seize the moment and make their chances count. I truly believe they can do it!
I won’t lose a minute sleep on the last leg, we can be even more lethal on the road
One thing for sure the entire kitchen sink will be thrown at us by the cemetery of talents
Think they would say let’s put medals on the table
Your mentality makes us look like a small club
We just need to start the second leg with high intensity.
“Controlled aggression” is how I would sum up how we should approach it.
I would just like to contrast the way teams with winning mentality’s react to defeats.
Just look at the way the press and the fans hold the great Real Madrid to account when they fail to deliver in a single game, let alone what they’ve won over the years.
Be it there big name manager’s, their star players. They get absolutely slaughtered for it. That’s what you call a winning mentality, they don’t and won’t except second best.
If you think people and I include myself in this, are negative after defeats. Just read the press in Spain and listen to what their fans are saying about them.
And remember, this is a reaction to one of if not the best clubs in the world.
I’ll say it again, it’s called not settling for second best, it’s called having standards, and most of all it’s called having that winning mentality.👍😉
And remember this is the reigning European and Prem Champions saying this is not acceptable
Where as some Gooners are boasting ‘ if things are bad ….how come we are second ‘