Arsenal beat FC Porto in a penalty shoot-out to reach the Champions League quarter-final for the first time in 14 years.
Champions League fixtures this week
Leandro Trossard and goalkeeper David Raya were the heroes of the Premier League side in a tensive game against solid visitors from Portugal.
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Arsenal 1-0 Porto (4-2 pen) – Champions League highlights
Arsenal has been added to the Champions League last eight list. In the first season, Mikel Arteta took charge of the Gunners in the elite European competition. What an achievement!
Having lost 1-0 at Estadio do Dragao without a shot on target, Arteta knew that his side must improve with a slight home advantage at Emirates in the return leg.
The home side started impressively, but Porto showed their class in the competition they used to be crowned the champions.
Martin Odegaard proved his worth with a sublime through ball into Trossard’s path inside the Porto penalty area. The former Brighton man made no mistake, putting the ball into the bottom corner only four minutes before half-time.
Arsenal thought they had completed the turnaround halfway through the second period, Kai Havertz forcing a mix-up between Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Pepe and Odegaard lifting into an empty net.
However, the goal was disallowed immediately for Havertz’s well-spotted pull on Pepe’s shirt, and VAR confirmed referee Clement Turpin’s decision.
Despite Arsenal’s pressure on the Porto goal in the second half, they could not produce a vital second as the game headed into extra time.
With the Gunners a little off the pace, the nerves were starting to jangle furiously among the club’s supporters.
However, a nervy extra period produced little drama, and both sides had to accept a penalty shootout to decide their Champions League fates.
Arsenal netted all four of their spot kicks with little fuss. Still, David Raya achieved hero status following two impressive saves in the shoot-out.
A night to celebrate for Arsenal fans across the world, and for Raya – The man of the match, this is the night to remember for years to come:
“I think it’s one of the biggest moments in my career, my whole career. I put it up there and hopefully there’s many more to come here.” Raya reflects on a top night, both personally and collectively.
