Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Declan Rice after the midfielder revealed that he ignored the advice of the club's set-piece coach before scoring the first of two sensational free kicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The England international's first-ever goals direct from free kicks led Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium.

After the game, Rice said that Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover was instructing him to cross the ball.

"It didn't make sense," said Rice. "I'm happy I took it. Bukayo [Saka] said, 'If you feel it, go for it.' I looked at the wall and the keeper and thought, 'I can bend this around the outside."

And Arteta has backed Rice's decision, saying it showed the qualities needed at the top level.

"I love it, especially when it goes to the back of the net instead of a counter-attack," he said. "They have to make the decision, we are here to help them, to try to paint the picture of what the options are, but I loved it.

"I think when we talk about making the next step, it's a lot about that. It's about taking initiative, making things happen on the pitch and believing that you can actually win the game by yourself sometimes, and I was really impressed the way he did it."

Thanks to Rice's goals, and a third from Mikel Merino, Arsenal find themselves in prime position to make the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009.

"I mean there's no coincidence that all the top teams you look at the games in the Champions League the amount of individual moments that won the football matches," Arteta added.

"In the Champions League at this level that's a necessity, without that I don't think you have a chance to progress and be in the finals and winning trophies like we want."

Arsenal host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to narrow an 11-poiont gap to leaders Liverpool, before visiting Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It was 32 years ago that Fred Couples slipped a green jacket onto Germany's Bernhard Langer for a second time.

On Friday at Augusta National Golf Club, the former champions gave patrons plenty to cheer for while both battled to make the cut.

Langer, 67, previously had announced that his 41st start in the Masters would be his final one. After making three birdies and one bogey in his first 12 holes of the second round, he seemed to be in good shape to stick around for two more days.

But then Langer's third shot on the par-5 15th hole spun off the green and into the water. He made double bogey and was 2 over, which was the projected cut line. After making consecutive pars on Nos. 16 and 17, Langer's approach was left of the final hole. His ball stopped among the patrons. He chipped to about 10 feet and had to sink a par putt to make the cut.

Langer's ball slid past the hole on the high side. He missed the cut by one stroke at 3 over.

Patrons encircling the 18th green gave Langer a standing ovation as he walked toward the clubhouse with his wife, Vikki Carol, to sign his scorecard one last time. His youngest son, Jason, was his caddie this week.

"It was a very special last two days for me, even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded," said Langer, who would have become the oldest player ever to make a cut in a major. "I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, 'Come on, get it together, you've got some golf to play.' It kind of kept going. There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots."

Langer said he wondered once or twice this week whether he should continue playing in the Masters in future years -- past champions receive lifetime exemptions -- but he decided the course is too long for him now.

"There were times [in the] last couple days when I thought, 'You know, did you make the right decision here, or should you have waited another year or two with your last Masters?' Because I was, you know, playing quite well and very smart."

Couples, 65, gave himself a good chance to make the cut by opening with a 1-under 71. He was only the second golfer aged 65 or older to break par in a round at the Masters (Tom Watson, at 65, carded a 71 in the first round in 2015).

But Couples struggled in the second round with six bogeys and one birdie and posted a 5-over 77. He finished 4 over after 36 holes.

"It was not good," Couples said. "It was not awful. I could have shot 73, and I could have shot 80. How about that? And I kind of shot right in between because I made a couple putts. But I'm not upset about anything. I tried as hard as I could, and let me tell you, it's a hard course."

Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, said he plans to compete in next year's tournament.

"As soon as I get in that car and drive out Magnolia Lane and come back tomorrow and have a nice lunch, I'll be fine," he said. "The goal is to make the cut at my age. I didn't, and I'm kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre."

Fifty-three players made the cut of 2-over 146.

Past champions Dustin Johnson (3 over), Sergio Garcia (4 over), Mike Weir (4 over), Phil Mickelson (5 over) and Adam Scott (5 over) also went home early.

Other notable players who missed the cut included Russell Henley (3 over), Keegan Bradley (3 over), Tony Finau (4 over), Sepp Straka (5 over), Billy Horschel (5 over), Cameron Smith (6 over) and Will Zalatoris (8 over).

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, was 1 over with four holes to play. On the par-5 15th, he hit his drive into the trees on the right. After punching out of the pine straw, his approach found the green but his ball spun back into the pond. He made a double-bogey to fall to 3 over.

Mickelson's tee shot on the par-3 16th found the water again. He made a bogey to fall to 4 over. Another bogey on the 18th dropped him to 5 over.

"I really thought I was going to play well and get right in it," Mickelson said. "I haven't missed very many cuts here, and I'm surprised that I missed one this year because I was playing really well heading in."

Even Brooks Koepka wasn't immune from the late troubles at Augusta National. The LIV Golf League captain was 2 over heading into the 15th. From 230 yards away, he knocked his approach to 3 feet and made an eagle putt to get back to even.

After another par on the par-3 16th, Koepka's approach shot on No. 17 rolled back 45 feet from the cup. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt for a bogey.

On the par-4 18th, Koepka yanked his tee shot into the woods down the left and couldn't find his ball. His approach on his fourth shot was long and stopped in the gallery of patrons behind the green. He chipped to 12 feet and three-putted from there, missing a 4-footer. The quadruple-bogey 8 left him at 5 over.

Koepka, who has three wins in the PGA Championship and two in the U.S. Open, has finished outside the top 25 in his past six major championships.

Cameron Young's missed cut was equally painful. The 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year carded an even-par 72 in the first round and was 2 over after 15 holes Friday.

On the 16th hole, Young pushed his tee shot into the gallery of patrons on the right. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt -- and then inexplicably missed tap-in putts of about 1 foot and 1 feet while rushing. He marked his ball and made a 2-footer for a triple-bogey 6.

On the par-4 17th, Young missed a 7-footer for another bogey to fall to 6 over. He hit his tee shot on the 18th into trees down the right, leading to another bogey. He finished 7 over.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Justin Rose did just enough to keep the lead Friday in the Masters, but he suddenly has a lot of company going into the weekend at Augusta National.

Bryson DeChambeau became the only player with consecutive sub-70 rounds and got within one shot, putting him in the final group. Right behind was Rory McIlroy, who tried to erase from his memory that sloppy finish in the first round and roared into contention to put the career Grand Slam back into view.

Scottie Scheffler started his title defense with 24 straight holes without a bogey. He then made five bogeys over the last 12 holes to slow his progress. He still was only three shots behind.

"The leaderboard is stacking up very favorably for what looks like world-class players right up there," Rose said after his 1-under 71, which featured birdies on the par 5s on the front nine and on the par 3s on the back nine.

"So you're going to have to play great golf, and you're going to have to go out there and want it and go for it and get after it," he said. "It's as simple as that, really."

Rose took a three-shot lead into the second round and had the advantage of playing early, before the wind became strong enough to make flags snap and create just enough indecision.

He hit a 9-iron over Rae's Creek to 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 12th, and he stuffed his tee shot on the par-3 16th for another birdie. That allowed him to atone for a few mistakes.

He was at 8-under 136, the third time he has had the 36-hole lead at the Masters.

The buzz came from behind him.

DeChambeau picked up an unlikely birdie by holing a bunker shot on the par-3 fourth hole on his way to a 32 on the front nine that kept him on Rose's heels the rest of the way. He wound up with a 68 for his best start ever in the Masters.

"This is what golf is about," DeChambeau said. "Got a lot of great names up there, and looking forward to an unbelievable test of golf."

And then there was McIlroy, who had two double bogeys over the last four holes Thursday, the latest frustrating chapter for him at the Masters. This time, he managed to forget about it and move on. He went birdie-birdie-par-eagle to start the back nine and was on his way to a bogey-free 66.

"I had to remind myself I was playing well," McIlroy said. "I couldn't let two bad holes dictate the narrative of the 16 good ones. I also had to remind myself this morning not to push too hard too early."

Corey Conners of Canada quietly put together a 70 and joined McIlroy at 6-under 138.

The group three shots back included Scheffler (71), former British Open champion Shane Lowry (68) and Tyrrell Hatton, who got within one shot of Rose until a pair of three-putts. One of them did a U-turn down the hill at the 16th. The other was a sleepy tap-in that lipped out.

It shapes up for a wide-open weekend, led by a 44-year-old from England who has gone a dozen years since winning his only major at the 2013 U.S. Open. Rose spoke last year about finding another stretch of magic in his career, and opportunity awaits.

That's also the case for DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion; for McIlroy, the sentimental favorite of so many at Augusta National as he tries to get the last leg of the career Grand Slam; and for Scheffler, who coped with plenty of stress the course gave him Friday.

"That's the company that I expect to keep, and that's where I have tried to be my whole career," Rose said. "I've been a top-10 player in the world for a decade or more. So yeah, this is nice to be back in that mix."

The cut was at 2-over 146, marking the end of 67-year-old Bernhard Langer's Masters career. He needed to make a 10-foot par putt on the last hole, only for it to tickle the right side of the cup.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka might have had the most shocking departure. He was in good shape, needing a bogey on the 18th. He made a quadruple bogey, starting with a tee shot into the trees and ending with a three-putt from 10 feet.

Now the attention shifts back to the top, where 16 players were separated by five shots going into the final two days.

Rose is atop the leaderboard after a round for the 10th time at Augusta, without a green jacket to show for it. He will try to become the second-oldest player at 44 to win the green jacket behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in that mystical 1986 Masters.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday and will be reevaluated in roughly six weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers said Friday.

The team's statement said the surgery was deemed successful and was performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center.

Embiid was ruled out for the season back in late February as he and the Sixers weighed their options for his balky knee. They announced last week that he would have surgery for the second time in a little more than a year.

The 2022-23 NBA MVP and seven-time All-Star played in a career-low 19 games in 2024-25, first due to knee soreness and a three-game suspension for shoving a columnist in the locker room. His other injury absences this season included a sinus fracture.

When on the court, Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

It's the latest chapter of a disappointing season for the injury-plagued 76ers, who came into the season with championship hopes after signing All-Star Paul George and extending young star Tyrese Maxey. The trio of Embiid, George and Maxey played in just 15 games together, and Philadelphia (24-56) enters Friday in 13th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

Maxey was ruled out for the remainder of the season Wednesday after reinjuring his sprained right finger. George played in just 41 games this season, then was shut down for the year after receiving injections in his left groin and left knee.

Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking his right wrist and sustaining a concussion and facial laceration, the team announced Friday. Wells was hurt when he suffered a hard fall in Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Wells is the Grizzlies' top perimeter defender and one of the league's top rookies. He averages 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. The team expects him to make a full recovery.

Wells caught an outlet pass from Ja Morant in the second quarter against the Hornets and was going up for the jam when Charlotte's KJ Simpson caught up and inadvertently undercut him. Wells lost his balance and landed awkwardly on his side as his head hit the court near the baseline.

Wells was attended to on the floor for eight minutes. Medical personnel placed him on a stretcher and immobilized his head before he was taken to the hospital.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals placed reliever Hunter Harvey on the 15-day disabled list on Friday because of a right shoulder injury.

The team said Harvey is dealing with a strain of the teres muscle in the shoulder.

Harvey has allowed just one hit with no walks and seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings across six appearances so far for the Royals.

The 30-year-old Harvey, acquired from Washington last July, has spent the last few years dealing with various health issues. He missed time during the late stages of the 2024 season due to a back injury and also had problems with his right elbow and his right arm.

Kansas City recalled right-handed reliever Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha to take Harvey's roster spot. The Royals are scheduled to play in Cleveland on Friday night.

SAN DIEGO -- The depleted San Diego Padres placed infielder Jake Cronenworth on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a right rib fracture.

The move with Cronenworth came after center fielder Jackson Merrill went on the 10-day IL on Tuesday because of a right hamstring strain. The IL stint for Cronenworth was made retroactive to Wednesday.

The Padres also are playing without right-hander Yu Darvish, who began the season on the IL because of elbow inflammation.

They did get some good news Friday when star Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup and batted leadoff and played right field in the opener of a weekend series against Colorado. Tatis left Tuesday night's game against the Athletics after experiencing left shoulder discomfort stemming from a slide.

Cronenworth also left Tuesday night's game after taking a swing. He was hit by a pitch Sunday in a game at the Chicago Cubs. He said he had an MRI on Thursday, a day off.

He thought it was a bruise and could play through it. He homered on Monday in a 5-4 win against the Athletics.

"It's frustrating, but it happens," Cronenworth said. "It didn't feel great Sunday when it happened, even Monday, then water over the boat on Tuesday and kind of just the tip of the iceberg."

The 31-year-old Cronenworth is batting .257 with two homers and five RBIs in 12 games this season. The two-time All-Star hit .241 with 17 homers and 83 RBIs in 155 games in 2024.

Even with all the injuries, San Diego became the first major league team with 10 wins after it beat the Athletics 2-1 on Wednesday.

Third baseman Tyler Wade was promoted from Triple-A El Paso before Friday night's game. Right-hander Matt Waldron, who has a left oblique muscle strain, was transferred to the 60-day IL.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider is going to join the team during its weekend series at Tampa Bay, marking another step in his comeback from elbow surgery.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Strider felt good after he struck out 13 during a dominant rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

Strider, 26, is going to have a bullpen session on Sunday in Tampa and then travel with the team to Toronto for the second half of its six-game trip. While the club has not made an official announcement, Strider could return during the series against the Blue Jays.

Strider last appeared in the majors on April 5, 2024, against the Diamondbacks in Atlanta. He had the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow repaired with an internal brace a week later.

The Braves are off to a slow start, and the return of Strider could provide a big lift. He went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 2023, finishing with a major league-best 281 strikeouts in 186 innings.

He pitched 5 innings in his rehab start on Thursday, allowing one run and three hits. He threw 90 pitches, 62 for strikes.

"He felt really good," Snitker said before Atlanta's series opener at Tampa Bay. "He said he felt good, so he'll come here and throw his bullpen Sunday."

The biggest impediment to a more enduring partnership appeared to be Petchey's commentary role with the Tennis Channel. That is one of the details which will need to be resolved as the two try to reach agreement on the number of weeks they will work together.

Raducanu has not had a full-time coach since January, when Nick Cavaday stood down for health reasons, and ended a two-week trial with Vladimir Platenik on the eve of the Miami Open.

She had previously worked with a wide range of coaches including Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson - who was in charge during her run to the US Open title - Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs.

She pulled out of the Great Britain team for this week's Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round in The Hague to train and "look after her body".

Raducanu has not yet decided whether to play at this month's Madrid Open but is expected to compete at next month's Italian Open in Rome before the French Open begins in late May.