13 March 2024 , 09:42
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William Saliba launched into wild celebrations after Arsenal finally ended their Champions League hoodoo.
The North London side reached the quarter-finals of the competition with a penalty shootout victory against Porto. The Gunners had won 1-0 on the night through Leandro Trossard’s goal to level the tie.
David Raya saved spot-kicks from Wendell and Galeno to secure a 4-2 success. The win means that Arsenal have managed to reach the Champions League last eight for the first time in 14 years.
The last time they did that was in the 2009/10 campaign but they were eventually stopped by Barcelona. Since then, they had seven Champions League eliminations at the round of 16 stage, while this season was the first they had competed in the competition since 2017.
Saliba let his emotions get the better of him once the result was confirmed. As the vast majority of his teammates celebrated in a huddle with Raya, he broke away from the group.
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The Frenchman wildly gestured towards supporters, pointing to the Arsenal badge and throwing his arms in the air to encourage more noise. He then returned to the group to celebrate with his teammates.
Saliba, and the rest of the Arsenal side, are sure to be keeping an eye out for Friday’s draw for the quarter-finals. Bayern Munich, PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona have all also sealed their spot in the draw so could represent the Gunners’ next opponents.
Speaking about the Champions League and the Gunners’ victory against Porto, boss Mikel Arteta said: "It has been 14 years, which is a long time for a club like Arsenal and it shows how difficult it was.
William Saliba celebrated wildly after Arsenal's Champions League win against Porto (Getty Images)How far will Arsenal go in the Champions League? Share your predictions in the comments below
"We really had to dig in to find the magic moment at the end. We're starting to create an unbelievable energy in the stadium, we were all pushing to get it done and together we have done it."
Asked if his side are capable of winning the competition this season, the Spaniard added: “It’s another big step, especially as a club. For seven years we haven’t been in this competition and for 14 years we haven’t got this far. That tells you the difficulty of it. We want more and we’re going to go for it that’s for sure.
“I think it’s still very far. Now I’m gonna sit at home, I’m gonna look at the other teams we have to play and start another big mountain to climb.”
Arsenal have a break this weekend. They were due to take on Chelsea but the Blues are in FA Cup action against Championship leaders Leicester.
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