Jude Bellingham’s words ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with Arsenal carried both belief and baggage. “Remontada… I’ve heard it about a million times this week, I’ve seen a million videos online“. The term—synonymous with Los Blancos’ history of dramatic comebacks—had echoed through the halls of Valdebebas all week. Inside the Bernabeu, the anticipation of another European miracle hung thick in the air.
Yet this time, the miracle never came. The Gunners defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, sealing a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate victory and advancing to the Champions League semi-finals for just the third time in their history. The defending champions were dismantled not by chaos or brilliance, but by a side whose strength lay in calm execution and ruthless control.
And while Arsenal made history, the moment also revived a deeper question that lingered beneath the surface: When was the last time a Premier League club eliminated the Whites while they were defending European champions? The answer adds historical weight to the Gunners’ stunning triumph.
The match began tense but soon turned into a story of the English side’s dominance and redemption. Bukayo Saka missed an early penalty with a failed Panenka, giving the home side brief hope. That hope grew when they were awarded a controversial penalty—only for VAR to overturn it.
However, Mikel Arteta’s players regained control, and Saka redeemed himself with a chipped goal in the 65th minute. Vinicius quickly equalized, but the tie was already out of the Whites’ grasp. The final blow came when Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 2-1 win, silencing the Bernabeu.
Flashback to Manchester City’s masterclass
This defeat marked a stunning low for Carlo Ancelotti’s players, who looked far from those who had bossed Europe only a year ago. Real Madrid lost six games in this season’s Champions League, a stat that tells a story of inconsistency and decline. They lacked the grit, precision, and identity that defined their recent campaigns.
Arsenal’s victory in the 2024-25 quarter-finals is monumental—but it wasn’t the first time a Premier League side dethroned the defending kings of Europe. The last such instance came in the 2022-23 season, when Manchester City eliminated Los Blancos in the semi-finals, also on a 5-1 aggregate score.
Back then, City were chasing ghosts. They had lost to Real the previous year in a heartbreak of a semi-final. But Pep Guardiola’s team came roaring back with vengeance. After a 1-1 draw in Madrid, City thrashed Real 4-0 at the Etihad, with Bernardo Silva scoring twice, and ultimately went on to win their first-ever Champions League title and a historic treble. “They played with more intensity and quality,” Ancelotti admitted after that loss, and his words ring true once again.
Arsenal steps into the spotlight
If Manchester City’s 2023 triumph was a changing of the guard, Arsenal’s 2025 demolition of Madrid might be a coming-of-age. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have steadily evolved from hopefuls to contenders. And now, after toppling the kings, they march on to face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, believing they belong.
This wasn’t just a quarter-final win. It was a statement. Arsenal is not here to admire the Champions League. It’s here to conquer it.