Arsenal banished echoes of old vulnerabilities at the Emirates on Tuesday night when they survived a grueling extra time and penalties against FC Porto and finally overcame the curse that had made them the kings of the League’s second-round eliminations. Champions. League.
Wild scenes of celebration erupted around the stadium as David Raya dived to his left to save Porto’s fourth penalty from Galeno and ensure that Arsenal, who had scored each of their first four kicks, could not be caught. Raya had also saved Wendell early in the penalty shootout.
Arsenal’s last seven appearances in the competition have ended in the round of 16, but not this time. It was hardly a convincing performance, but after the tie ended 1-1, Mikel Arteta’s side held their nerve in the final minute and now join their Premier League title rivals, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and the rest in the classification. last eight.
The hopes and fears of so many years hung heavily over the Emirates on a humid afternoon in north London. It was a night loaded with memories of FC Porto’s past glories and Arsenal’s past failures, a night in which two teams came to fight to make amends and aspire to immortality.
It was 20 years ago this week when Porto went to Old Trafford for the second leg of another round of 16 tie, trying to protect a one-goal lead, just as they were trying to protect it at the Emirates.
David Raya saved twice in the penalty shootout as Arsenal reached the quarterfinals
Arsenal converted all four of their penalties to advance after a tight draw against Porto.
Gunners players swarmed Raya after Spaniard kept Champions League hopes alive
Your browser does not support iframes.
It was 20 years ago when they surprised Manchester United with a last-gasp equalizer and their coach, José Mourinho, who was about to be catapulted to stardom, ran off the bench and slid down the touchline on his knees.
Porto won the tournament that year, so their hopes of matching that achievement this year are lost. Arsenal’s goal was not so intimidating. It had been 14 years since they last qualified for the round of 16 of this competition.
Being eliminated in the second round more than any other team (even in their last seven consecutive appearances) is not the kind of record anyone wants to set and it stung like a rebuke from history as they ran in front of their fans.
Brazilian winger Galeno had scored for Sergio Conceicao’s side in added time at the end of the first leg in Porto last month to add unexpected danger to this tie, but Arsenal fans were so confident of progressing, at least outwardly , which popularized the hashtag. ‘Pray for Porto’ on social networks.
“This stadium is going to have energy that you have never seen in your life because we haven’t done it in 14 years,” Arteta said before the match. These are exciting times for his team as they prepare for the final stages of their bid to win their first national title in 20 years and the crowd responded with the ardor that Arteta demanded.
Arteta had started Trossard on the left side of the front three because Gabriel Martinelli was still absent with a foot injury and was seen in the stadium before the match on crutches. It is believed that he will be out for at least two weeks, but there are 19 days until Arsenal play again.
To no one’s surprise, Porto concentrated their defense early and absorbed Arsenal’s pressure. Bukayo Saka clumsily saved Diogo Costa with a powerful low shot, Martin Odegaard shot wide and Ben White headed over the bar. Porto seemed prepared for a long night of resistance.
Midway through the half, Porto reminded Arsenal that they would not be content to sit back. Evanilson received the ball on the edge of the home area and his shot grazed Gabriel. David Raya lunged to his left to move the ball away. The stadium became a little quiet for the first time.
Porto threatened to extend their overall lead with Evanilson forcing a save from Raya
Leandro Trossard equalized the tie in the first half after a pass from Martin Odegaard
Arsenal tried to take advantage of the momentum after Trossard’s goal against a resistant Porto
Suddenly, Arsenal started to look a little more hesitant. His body language changed. Jorginho berated his teammates for their lack of urgency, Arteta became more animated on the touchline, Porto fans became louder, Arsenal fans became more frustrated with Porto’s ability to eat up the clock.
Arsenal almost broke the deadlock after half an hour when Ben White curled a delicate shot towards the far post where Kai Havertz was lurking. Pepe, Porto’s veteran captain, showed an agility that belied his 41 years, jumping high to get the slightest touch of the ball, which grazed his forehead and eluded Havertz.
The growing sense of unease intensified when William Saliba was booked for dragging Galeno as the Brazilian winger passed him, but then, four minutes before half-time, it was time for catharsis.
Trossard and Odegaard exchanged passes on the edge of the Porto area before Odegaard played a brilliant inside-the-back pass into the path of the Belgian winger. Trossard took it with his right foot and placed it precisely beyond Diogo Costa to sit just inside the far post.
The last Arsenal player to score in the last 16 of the Champions League was Theo Walcott and he was sitting in the press box at the Emirates watching the new generation try to take advantage of Trossard’s goal that had tied them in the tie.
Porto responded by doubling down on their time-wasting tactics at the start of the second half. Evanilson attempted an overhead kick and was then left lying in the Arsenal box as play continued. To the fury of the home crowd, French referee Clement Turpin stopped the game.
Arsenal thought they had the second goal they needed midway through the half when Odegaard headed accurately into the empty net, but the referee disallowed the goal because Havertz had pulled Pepe by the shirt in the build-up. In the furor that followed, Arteta was reprimanded for suggesting the VAR should review the decision.
Martin Odegaard thought he had put Arsenal ahead in the tie with a second-half effort
The Arsenal captain’s shot was disallowed after Kai Havertz was penalized for a foul on Pepe
Gabriel Jesús was close to winning the tie before extra time with his first touch on the bench
Arsenal eventually needed penalties to beat Porto and Raya emerged as their hero.
The atmosphere became feverish again as the minutes passed. Porto fed on it. They could feel Arsenal’s nerves and their inexperience at this stage of the competition. It’s not that they were immune to histrionics. When a decision went against his team, Sergio Conceicao lost his temper so spectacularly on the touchline that he too was booked.
Gabriel Jesús came on eight minutes from time and almost scored with the first touch. He tried to put his shot under Diogo Costa’s body but it hit the goalkeeper’s butt and bounced into the side netting.
The volume went up. Odegaard urged the crowd to make even more noise. Diogo Costa rejected a shot from Saka and Odegaard shot wide. Arsenal threw everything they could at Porto as extra time approached, but the breakthrough simply didn’t come. Everything depended on David Raya and the penalty shootout.