Brentford manager Thomas Frank has given his players a simple plan to stop Arsenal's free-kick maestro Declan Rice -- don't give away fouls near the penalty area.
Three goals in 17 minutes. The Emirates roared. The dragon was down.
Rice scored with two sublime free-kicks in the second half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The English top flight needed just one win from its clubs in any of the three European competitions to secure one of two extra berths - on top of the four granted to the top four in the table - awarded to the highest-ranked countries in the UEFA coefficient ranking.
Arsenal stormed to a stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid as Declan Rice's free-kick masterclass left the Gunners within touching distance of a place in the semifinals.
Real Madrid have set the bar sky high with six Champions League titles in a decade and their demanding fans have been voicing concerns as last year's European and Spanish champions struggle for consistency this season.
The Gunners have never been crowned European champions and face the 15-time winners in a quarter-final at the Emirates on Tuesday with the return leg in Madrid next week.
Second-placed Arsenal have 62 points from 31 games, 11 behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game at hand when they go to Fulham on Sunday. Everton climb to 14th place with 35 points from their 31 matches, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.
Arsenal have suffered a major setback ahead of their Champions League clash against Real Madrid after Gabriel was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has given his players a simple plan to stop Arsenal's free-kick maestro Declan Rice -- don't give away fouls near the penalty area.
Three goals in 17 minutes. The Emirates roared. The dragon was down.
Rice scored with two sublime free-kicks in the second half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The English top flight needed just one win from its clubs in any of the three European competitions to secure one of two extra berths - on top of the four granted to the top four in the table - awarded to the highest-ranked countries in the UEFA coefficient ranking.
Arsenal stormed to a stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid as Declan Rice's free-kick masterclass left the Gunners within touching distance of a place in the semifinals.
Real Madrid have set the bar sky high with six Champions League titles in a decade and their demanding fans have been voicing concerns as last year's European and Spanish champions struggle for consistency this season.
The Gunners have never been crowned European champions and face the 15-time winners in a quarter-final at the Emirates on Tuesday with the return leg in Madrid next week.
Second-placed Arsenal have 62 points from 31 games, 11 behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game at hand when they go to Fulham on Sunday. Everton climb to 14th place with 35 points from their 31 matches, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.
Arsenal have suffered a major setback ahead of their Champions League clash against Real Madrid after Gabriel was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Former United winger Anthony Elanga came back to haunt his former club with a stunning solo effort after just five minutes at the City Ground to earn all three points for Nuno Espirito Santo's side.
