12 March 2024 , 23:05
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It has been so long that Arsenal had almost forgotten what it feels like.
But European nights do not get much better after a dramatic and nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out took Arsenal into the Champions League quarter finals for the first time since 2010. There can be no better fairytale than David Raya being crowned the hero as the Arsenal keeper made two sensational spot kick saves.
What an incredible story for Raya who was hardly a popular choice when Mikel Arteta brought him in to replace Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No1 this season. But this was the night when Arsenal fans took him to their hearts as he saved dramatically and sent the home fans into ecstasy.
Incredibly, it was the first shoot-out in the Champions League since the 2016 final and this was a reminder that you just cannot beat it for high drama. Arsenal just about deserved it over the course of two legs but they were pushed all of the way by seasoned European campaigners Porto.
Porto veteran defender Pepe, 41 - yes, 41 - was brilliant as he held the visiting defence together and Arsenal could barely build up a head of steam.
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Leandro Trossard scored before half time to level the tie on aggregate and you thought an avalanche would follow. But Porto were far too smart for that as they slowed the game down, turned it into a war of attrition and we never saw the free-scoring Arsenal which has torn up the Premier League.
Martin Odegaard put in a brilliant captain’s performance for Arsenal as he was man of the match and supplied the assist for Trossard to score. The Arsenal captain swapped passes with Trossard and then Odegaard switched the ball onto his favoured left foot when anything can happen.
Odegaard then looked up, picked his pass to perfection and slipped in Trossard and the Arsenal forward drove a low shot into the bottom corner before Pepe could get across to make a challenge.
Leandro Trossard put the Gunners back on level terms in the tiePorto did not buckle and stood firm. But they had a major let-off after 67 minutes. Kai Havertz chased down a long ball, Pepe tangled with keeper Diogo Costa and the ball broke loose for Odegaard to chip into the empty net.
But referee Clement Turpin disallowed it and also booked Mikel Arteta for his protests as Arsenal were given a lesson in the dark arts by Porto.
Arsenal just could not find a way through as no-one wanted to be the player to make a mistake as it headed inevitably to penalties and you could feel the tension among the home fans.
Ultimately, no-one wanted to be the player to make a mistake and so the game just tailed off and went to the nerve wracking experience of penalties. Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were all on target for Arsenal as the crowd celebrated wildly.
Raya brilliantly saved two penalties during the shootoutBrazilian winger Pepe and Marko Grujikc scored but Wendell and then Galeno - the scorer in the first leg - were both denied by spectacular Raya saves. No wonder Raya got the man of the match trophy as even though Odegaard put in a sensational shift it was the Arsenal keeper who finished as the real hero.
Arsenal will probably be grateful after 120 minutes of tension and drama that they do not have a game on Saturday and it is nearly three weeks until they play again.
But they must also hope this is a defining night for their season and can inspire them to even greater heights as no-one will fancy facing them in the quarter finals.
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