In what was a nail-biting Champions League showdown from the Emirates on Tuesday night, Arsenal punched their quarter-final ticket thanks to a penalties victory against Porto.
While the Gunners might have suffered a 1-0 first-leg defeat when they travelled over to Portugal on February 20th, Leandro Trossard dragged Arsenal level on the night just four minutes before the interval.
Although Mikel Arteta’s young squad might have failed to find a dramatic late winner after being taken to extra-time, Arsenal certainly held their nerve with a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders.
With all of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice converting from the spot, David Raya proved to be Arsenal’s hero as the Spanish shot-stopper denied both Galeno and Wendell’s efforts.
Although Porto might have suffered major European heartbreak here as they missed out on the chance to claim an iconic scalp, the Portuguese giants should leave the capital with their heads held high.
On a night when Arsenal punched a first Champions League quarter-final ticket since 2010, we have taken a look at the key talking points from north London.
Arsenal show their mental resolve
While Arsenal might have eventually fallen short last season in their bid to claim a first domestic crown since 2004, Arteta’s high-flying squad have their sights firmly set on making real history this time around.
In the midst of what has been a stunning Premier League romp and currently leading the chase at the top of the table, the Gunners are riding what has been a real wave of momentum.
Heading into Tuesday’s second-leg after collecting a dramatic 2-1 victory against London rivals Brentford over the weekend, Arsenal have now win nine of their previous 10 appearances across all competitions.
With that extended purple patch stemming all the way back to an FA Cup defeat against Liverpool on January 7th, Arteta’s camp should be fancying their chances of mounting a…
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Author : Tom Dunstan
Publish date : 2024-03-13 10:30:08
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