Frank Cautions Brentford Players About Rice Ahead of Arsenal Clash

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has laid out a straightforward strategy for his players to contain Arsenal’s free-kick specialist Declan Rice: steer clear of giving away fouls close to the penalty area.

On Tuesday, Frank was present at the Emirates Stadium where England midfielder Rice struck two remarkable free-kicks in the Gunners’ 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Prior to these goals, Rice had yet to score a free-kick in his professional career, making his first stunning effort against the reigning champions all the more impressive.

Recognising Rice’s potential, Frank has urged his squad to refrain from conceding unnecessary fouls within his range.

“An incredibly impressive display – I attended the match and Arsenal’s performance was outstanding; they truly earned the win,” he remarked on Friday, a day before their London derby clash in the Premier League.

“Declan Rice scored two fantastic free-kicks. The first was clever, bending it around the wall, and the second was an absolute screamer. Top corner. Wow!

“The second one is extremely tough to defend against – although we can certainly work on not giving away free-kicks. We need to avoid conceding soft fouls, absolutely.

“As for the first one, I’d hope our wall would be positioned a bit differently, so they can’t bend it around that side. But yes, we really need to focus on not giving away fouls.”

Brentford has yet to secure a victory at Arsenal in the Premier League, yet they may encounter a depleted Gunners side if manager Mikel Arteta opts to rest players ahead of the return leg in Madrid next week.

Regardless of changes in personnel, Frank believes that the second-placed Arsenal will always present a serious challenge.

“It’s clear that Arsenal have an extraordinary level they can reach, and they absolutely showed that against Real Madrid,” he stated.

“No matter who they field, they will remain strong and feature quality players.”