Arsenal reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 after beating Porto in a penalty shootout following a night of tension at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners went into this last-16 second leg 1-0 down but drew level when Leandro Trossard put them ahead on the night four minutes before the interval with a smooth finish following brilliant work by captain Martin Odegaard.
A scrappy, fractious encounter failed to yield a winner even after extra time and it was Arsenal who held their nerve to go through to the last eight.
Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were all on target for Arsenal as David Raya saved from Wendell and Galeno to seal victory for Mikel Arteta’s side amid scenes of wild celebration.
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Raya Delivers On Crucial Champions League night
David Raya settled all lingering arguments about manager Mikel Arteta’s judgement and his status as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper amid the sound and fury of a dramatic Champions League win over Porto at Emirates Stadium.
Raya’s uncertain start as replacement for Aaron Ramsdale prompted suggestions that Arteta had attempted to fix something that was not actually broken by bringing in the Spaniard from Brentford to replace the Arsenal fans’ favourite who was good enough to play for England.
And in the spirit of full disclosure, and before the reminders arrive and large portions of humble pie are thrown in this direction, one of the biggest doubters is right here and must admit to being wrong after witnessing Raya’s finest night since arriving at Arsenal.
Raya delivered when it mattered most, offering further confirmation of his steady improvement and reliability, with two penalty shootout saves from Wendell and Galeno as Arsenal reached a Champions League quarter-final for the first time in 14 years with a 4-2 win in the shootout after a 1-0 win on the night.
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Kapital Kruise
With Oyinye Agiriga
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