Gunners blast into final four

Arsenal dethroned the king of the Champions League with ease, as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent the Gunners into the semifinals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first-leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kick goals, laid the foundations in London.

But, a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday was a coming of age performance for Mikel Arteta's rising stars.

Arteta's only major trophy in five-and-a-half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, won just months into his reign.

But, the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contender for major honors.

"I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory," said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club record 105 million pounds ($139 million) in 2023.

"This club is going to do special things in the coming years.

"We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager — he's unbelievable!"

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal was part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger's reign.