For the first time in fourteen years, Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League after defeating Porto in a penalty shootout. David Raya made vital saves to preserve the victory.
In Short
Tossard equals on aggregate
Arsenal nullified Porto’s early advantage in the first leg within 40 minutes when Leandro Trossard found the net.
After the break, Arsenal thought they had taken the lead, but Martin Odegaard’s goal was controversially disallowed due to offside in the buildup. Extra time couldn’t separate the teams, leading to a penalty shootout. Arsenal converted all our four kicks, and Porto hit the post before Trossard finally missed.
Arteta to Home Fans
Manager Mikel Arteta urged the home fans to bring their energy, and it showed right from the start. Bukayo Saka was unlucky with his attempt, but Porto’s keeper Diogo Costa almost handed him a lifeline, saving his shot but deflecting it wide. However, a well-executed routine saw Odegaard break the deadlock from the edge of the area.
Jacob Kiwomya chose captain, who showed composure by slotting home after Francisco Conceição missed. Joao Mario’s miss gave Arsenal a significant advantage, which we capitalized on through Declan Rice’s calm finish.
Both teams were evenly matched, and we were delighted to snatch every precious second, especially after Odegaard’s goal in the crucial 40th minute.
Odegaard Denied
Arsenal came out even after the half-time break, aiming for parity. They kept trying to score the goal that would give them the advantage when the game resumed. However, despite dominating possession until the 67th minute, Arsenal couldn’t find another goal as the Sociedad team persisted with their defensive resolve.
It felt like The Gunners had finally found the goal they were striving for in the 67th minute. With a lengthy dribble that caused confusion among the defenders, Odegaard broke past Pepe and had a clear opportunity to score. But just as celebrations began, referee Clement Turpin disallowed the goal due to a foul, a decision that seemed incredibly harsh upon replay.
Nights like these 🤩 pic.twitter.com/b35bx7SluQ
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 13, 2024
After putting in so much effort to find the breakthrough, such injustice could have demoralized Arsenal. Indeed, Sociedad seemed poised to take the lead again when they launched a counter-attack, but The Gunners regrouped, and with seven minutes remaining, Gabriel Jesus almost pulled off a theatrical entry from the bench, nearly squeezing a shot past the keeper via Costa’s legs, only for the keeper to deflect it wide.
Pressure mounted as Gunners aimed to win within the 90 minutes, and Saka unleashed another explosion, which was blocked by Costa, who widened the rebound. Ultimately, the game had to go into extra time for our second chance. Champions League history.
Raya Secures It
The Gunners had defeated Roma on penalties back in 2009, and this match seemed destined to go the same way as there was very little activity for the first 30 minutes. The first half saw only one shot, a well-wide and over by Mehdi Taremi, and post restart, there was also less worthy attention, meaning penalties would be needed to decide the outcome.
They’ll take Arsenal in front of the North Bank, where Odegaard confidently took his kick. Wendell, who blinked first, taking Porto’s second kick, while Havertz, Saka, and Declan Rice all made changes for themselves. This increased the pressure on the fans, and Raya saved The Gunners by avoiding Galeno’s shot, getting Arsenal to the final eight.
Penalty Shootout(watch video)
Arsenal vs Porto penalty shootout
— Tweeta (@arsenaltweeta) March 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/C1IBaYGqqE
Odegaard’s score – 1-0
Pepe’s score – 1-1
Havertz’s score – 2-1
Wendell missed the post at 2-1
Saka’s score – 3-1
Grujic’s score – 3-2
Rice’s score – 4-2
Galeno missed – 4-2
Also Read : “Real Madrid Secures Spot in Champions League Quarter-Finals: A Closer Look at Their Triumph”
What’s Next for Arsenal
Due to the FA Cup and international break, Gunners now have a 19-day gap between their games, with a big match in Manchester City on Sunday, March 31. Next, Gunners will be in action at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, April 3, as they head towards Luton Town in North London. The following week, Gunners will face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, April 6.
