Arsenal vs Real Madrid player ratings: Declan Rice shines again as Saka and Martinelli score at Bernabeu | OneFootball

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Arsenal coasted through a 2-1 win to Real Madrid, ending with an aggregate 5-1 victory over two legs in their Champions League quarter-final.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men couldn't overturn a 3-0 deficit in front of their home fans and tonight belonged to Mikel Arteta’s side as they shocked Madrid, especially with their recent history of overturning losing causes to progress in the Champions League.

The Gunners knew that anything but a big defeat would be enough to secure them a place in the last four stage of the competition but they went a step further and beat the Spanish giants in their home stadium.

They now face PSG in the semi-finals, after the French champions defeated Aston Villa yesterday.

Here are how the players rated at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Real Madrid

Thibaut Courtois, 7

Made three valuable saves in the first half to stop Arsenal taking the lead and stopped a penalty from Bukayo Saka which kept hope alive of a big comeback, eased Real Madrid’s loss.

Lucas Vazquez, 6

Provided plenty of aggression and played well under the threat of Gabriel Martinelli though the Arsenal winger managed to come out of their battle with more plaudits.

Raul Ascencio, 3

Gave away the penalty in the first half for a clumsy grapple on Mikel Merino and was rattled throughout the match leaving too much space for the likes of Saka to cut inside. Was lucky not to concede more goals.

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William Saliba denies Vinicius Jr the chance to score for Real (Getty Images)

Antonio Rudiger, 3

A fighter in every sense of the word but this time to his detriment. ‘Accidentally’ stood on Myles Lewis-Skelly in the second half as frustrations grew and should have tracked Saka for the goal but was looking at Rice instead.

David Alaba, 4

An immediate booking really limited his opportunities to play up against Saka with physicality. Looked far from his best against Arsenal’s well drilled forward line.

Federico Valverde, 4

Uncharacteristically quiet and made no relevant contribution, messed a pass up on breakaway which would have released Vinicius and was at fault for keeping Saka well onside for the goal.

Aurélien Tchouameni, 4

Another famous Real Madrid player who went through a quiet night. His tame effort in the first half was perhaps the only thing of note during the game.

Jude Bellingham, 4

Unfortunately, England teammate Declan Rice got the better of him and ruined his chance to become a Real Madrid legend by inspiring a comeback. He was rattled as the game went on and threw Timber to the floor in a fit that went unpunished.

Rodrygo, 6

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Kylian Mbappe goes to ground under pressure from Declan Rice (PA Wire)

The forward was tasked with taking corners but couldn’t beat the first man meaning Real’s set piece opportunities were wasted more often than not. Pacey and a threat out wide.

Vinicius Junior, 8

Probably the talisman of the team. Scored Madrid’s lone goal across both legs after some aggressive pressing against William Saliba but otherwise below his usually high standards.

Kylian Mbappe, 5

Had a goal ruled out for offside very early in the game and took some wild shots that never troubled David Raya. Went off injured in the second half.

Substitutes

Franscico Garcia, 3; Daniel Ceballos, 2; Endrick, 5; Luka Modric, 4; Brahim Diaz, 3

Arsenal

David Raya, 7

The yellow card for time wasting aside, he had a fine outing in Madrid and made a smart stop from Kylian Mbappe in the first half before a couple of fine saves in the second half.

Jurrien Timber, 8

Handled Vinicius Jr superbly in one-on-one situations and hardly put a foot wrong all evening. He’s a fullback who can defend crosses and seemed at home against Madrid famous forward line.

William Saliba, 6

Confident and controlled as the heart of the Arsenal defence but a bit lax in key moments especially for Vinicius Jr’s goal. A great sliding challenge on the same opponent in the second half puts his score back up though.

Jakub Kiwior, 7

Filling in at centre-back for Gabriel is not an easy take but he slotted straight in to play a crucial role as Saliba’s partner and looked at home defending Madrid’s plethora of crosses.

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William Saliba played well despite a slip up that led to the Real Madrid goal (REUTERS)

Myles Lewis-Skelly, 7

Despite still being a teenager his comfort at this level is clear and he is strong in possession playing out from the back, defending crosses and getting forward. A gem for Arsenal to have unearthed.

Thomas Partey, 6

A needless clash with Rudiger late in the second half runied what was, until then, a fine performance from the midfielder. The yellow card he picked up in the aftermath means that he will miss the first leg of the semi-final against PSG.

Declan Rice, 9

Player of the match for a reason. The strongest and most commanding leader in the middle of the pitch and incredible on the transition and tracking back. Read the match expertly and looked a class above over the course of the two legs.

Martin Odegaard, 7

The Arsenal captain and a key playmaker when needing to hold up the ball and play through the narrow gaps in Madrid’s final third. Had a chance to close out the match before Martinelli’s goal but sent the ball into the hands of Thibaut Courtois.

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Gabriel Martinell scored late in the game (Action Images via Reuters)

Bukayo Saka, 8

Saka scored his fifth goal in seven games and looks back to his best after a long lay off through injury. A superb run and a beautiful left footed shot from the centre of the box to beat Courtois overshadows his awful attempt to score from the penalty spot.

Gabriel Martinelli, 8

Another fine outing in a crucial role to get Arsenal up the pitch after clearing their lines. A beautiful finish into the bottom left-hand corner to score his goal in added time was a deserved reward.

Mikel Merino, 7:

The makeshift forward is making the spot his own. Good hold up play and a vital target man for the Gunners when they wanted to get up the pitch quickly.