Declan Rice struck two sublime free-kicks and Mikel Merino's third helped Mikel Arteta's side put one foot in the final four.

Arsenal will be fully aware the job is not yet complete, having seen Mbappe's devastating impact against Premier League champions Manchester City earlier this season.

Mbappe netted a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola's side in February at the Santiago Bernabeu in the play-off round, helping Madrid eliminate City 6-3 on aggregate.

The striker was sent off for a wild challenge against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday, putting his team-mates under pressure, but can make it up to them with a special performance at the Santiago Bernabeu against Arsenal.

Madrid scraped a 1-0 win and Mbappe only played 38 minutes before his dismissal, so he should be fresh for Wednesday.

Mbappe has 33 goals in 49 games across all competitions this season, matching Madrid's all-time top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo's tally in his first season at the club.

'Big night'

Mbappe failed to lift the Champions League trophy with Paris Saint-Germain during his seven seasons at the club and in 2022, was on the sharp end of a spectacular Real Madrid comeback.

PSG led 1-0 from the last 16 first leg, with Mbappe on target, and he netted his second goal of the tie to give the French side the lead at the Bernabeu.

It sparked Real Madrid into life and a remarkable 17-minute Karim Benzema hat-trick turned the tie around and powered Los Blancos into the quarter-finals, on the way to lifting the trophy.

Mbappe said his treble against Man City was exactly the kind of night he was craving.

"I've been dreaming of moments like this since I was a kid, to play for this club and to feel what it's like on a big night at the Bernabeu," said the Frenchman.

"A lot of people have told me about it, but now I've seen it with my own eyes, and I hope we'll have many more."

In 2022 Madrid made a stunning comeback to beat Man City despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate in the final minutes of the semi-final second leg, progressing 6-5 in the end.

Perhaps their most important comeback came in the 2014 final against rivals Atletico, trailing 1-0 until Sergio Ramos headed home in the 93rd minute to force extra-time, with Los Blancos winning 4-1 to claim 'La Decima', their 10th Champions League trophy.