Right before Arsenal's third goal against Bayern Munich, Harry Kane had a single dribble on the right wing. Like most of Bayern Munich's attacking efforts throughout the match, it was quickly blocked.
Like most similar situations this season, the one who cut it was Declan Rice with a decisive turn, so accurately that the Emirates stands exploded as if they had just witnessed a goal.
Rice knows very well how much that moment means. He stood up, shouted, raised his arms to encourage the stands and teammates, actions as if conveying the message that the whole team must continue to fight, continue to keep the rhythm and end the match as strictly as possible. When a team has the best players in Europe at the moment, the standards are also pushed to another level.
Just a few minutes after Rice's gasping, Arsenal launched a final blow. Gabriel Martinelli scored with a delicate move, sealing a 3-1 victory. The Gooners clearly felt the invisible weight being lifted off their shoulders.
This is no longer a release but a new ladder for a ship that has been taken off for a long time. If Declan Rice is the most outstanding player in Europe at the moment, Arsenal deserves to be considered the strongest team in the old continent.
All final reviews will take place in Budapest in June (the final) but what The Gunners have shown is changing everything. They have become the number one candidate for the Premier League title and this match is the test of whether the "Gunners" can defeat the one who has been a nightmare in the Champions League for many years.
Many are concerned that the new version of the Champions League will make big matches lose their significance, as strong teams are almost certain to qualify for the round of 16. However, for Arsenal, this match is not just 3 points. It shows that Mikel Arteta's 6 years of rebuilding are approaching the last sweet fruit. With each challenge overcome, the "Gunners" journey to the finish line is getting closer.
The second half against Bayern was a perfect performance of explosiveness and dominance. The center of the performance was Rice - who played in 4 different positions at the same time. With his current form, it's every week rather than every moment in every game. He once admitted that he was in the most confident state of his career. Mikel Arteta also cannot imagine how Arsenal will play without Rice at this time.
In the 62nd minute against Bayern, Rice bounced from the center to the left with incredible speed and power, eliminating Joshua Kimmich in front of Bayern's defense who was almost helpless. The final shot forced Manuel Neuer to fly to save the goal, but it was only the second part of the game that had been decided since the beginning of the second half. Bayern were completely unable to defend against Rice's free kicks, whether they were strong kicks or technical suspensions. Mikel Merino even missed a good chance from such a situation. On the other hand, Bayern could hardly get past Rice every time they tried to counterattack.
Arsenal have thereby dominated the game, making one of their best matches in the Champions League in recent years. The match was once described as a confrontation between the strongest defense in Europe and the most explosive attack, but Bayern only had a short, bright time after the equalizer of 17-year-old talent Lennart Karl, the rest of them were completely submerged.
Arsenal have done something they have rarely touched in previous years. Not only did Arsenal beat Bayern, they also won in a way that overwhelmed their opponents.
The question now is if anyone is capable of touching Arsenal? With this form, the answer is not found. If Arsenal are left empty-handed this season, that scenario will only come when they personally break all the extraordinary progress they have made in the past few years.
Mikel Arteta once said that Bayern possesses a very high level of class in the Champions League. However, Arsenal, with Rice in the center, is becoming the team with the greatest position in the European arena.
