Arsenal couldn’t have hoped for a better start at home to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, as Declan Rice put the Gunners ahead after just two minutes.

Rice hit a ball as sweetly as you like on the half-volley, elegantly striking the ball past Zagreb stopper Ivan Nevistić.

Since making the move from West Ham, the Gunners star had made just five appearances in Europe’s most elite competition before this evening.

And that marks his first ever Champions League goal, while the timing of the hit makes this Arsenal’s earliest in the UCL for over a decade.

Declan Rice’s strike was the fastest goal Arsenal have scored in the Champions League since November 2014.

What a way to get off the mark 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/1ZfTkl1A3x

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025

Is it the first of many for Rice?

📸 Justin Setterfield – 2025 Getty Images