Nicolas Jover once again proved his importance to Arsenal as his instructions to Declan Rice saw the midfielder score two sensational free-kicks against Real Madrid.
It was a historic evening for Arsenal as they defeated the defending European champions Real Madrid 3-0 to take a giant step towards the Champions League semi-finals.
But it was Rice who stole the show at the Emirates Stadium as he scored not once but twice from dead ball situations as Roberto Carlos watched on from the stands.
Mikel Arteta’s team have become such a threat from set-pieces with Jover in charge and his advice for Rice before his first goal proved decisive.
Nicolas Jover tells Declan Rice to bend his effort around the Real Madrid wall
Nicolas Jover was spotted instructing Declan Rice to bend his effort around the Real Madrid wall and it worked to perfection, as per Madrid journalist Andres Weiss.
Rice’s first goal was a thing of beauty as his effort curled around the Madrid wall and left Thibaut Courtois with no chance.
The Arsenal set piece coach spotted from the bench that Madrid had left room for the ball to be bent around the ball and that’s the message he relayed to Rice. Meanwhile, Arsenal fans also urged Rice to shoot.
Jover could be seen standing at the edge of the Gunners’ technical area and gesturing to curl the free-kick instead of going over the wall.
Declan Rice’s superb performance vs Real Madrid
Rice was the star of the show on a truly historic night for the North London club as he produced a brilliant display in the middle of the park.
| Stat | Total |
| Goals | 2 |
| Touches | 43 |
| Accurate passes | 27/30 (90%) |
| Shots | 5 |
| Shots on target | 4 |
| Duels (won) | 4 (1) |
| Interceptions | 1 |
Coming up against the likes of Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga in the Madrid midfield, he showed why Arsenal paid the £105 million to sign him.
The 26-year-old will now need to produce a similar performance next week at the Santiago Bernabeu as the Gunners look to priect their three-goal lead.
