Arsenal are back amongst the elite! After a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Porto, Mikel Arteta’s side have booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.
The Gunners, who carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg, were pegged back early on by Porto. However, Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike ensured the tie remained level on aggregate. Despite some strong attacking play from both sides, the resolute defending of Nicolas Pepe and Diogo Otavio forced the game into extra time, and eventually, penalties.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal’s hero in the first leg, was unavailable due to injury, but Bernd Leno proved a capable deputy. However, it was Arsenal’s new signing, David Raya, who stole the show in the shootout. The Spanish stopper made two crucial saves, denying Wendell and Galeno, to send the Emirates crowd into raptures as Arsenal converted all four of their penalties.
This victory marks a significant milestone for the North London club. It not only ends a 14-year absence from the Champions League’s last eight but also breaks a run of seven consecutive exits in the round of 16. Interestingly, this was also the first Champions League knockout match to be decided by penalties since the infamous 2016 final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
For Porto, the defeat extends their woes against English opposition in European competition. This marks their eighth consecutive elimination in major European knockout ties against English teams, a run that stretches back to their famous victory over Manchester United in the 2003-04 Champions League.
Arsenal will now wait with bated breath for Friday’s quarter-final draw, where they can dream of reaching the Champions League’s latter stages for the first time in over a decade. The Gunners have shown their resilience and fighting spirit, and with Raya emerging as a hero between the sticks, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the next round.
