Mikel Arteta hailed a “magic night” on the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to succeed in first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.
Trailing 1-0 from the primary leg in Portugal, a aim from Leandro Trossard simply earlier than half-time levelled the tie late within the first half, however there Arsenal’s momentum stalled as they didn’t wrap the sport up inside 90 minutes.
After a nervous extra-time it took heroics from goalkeeper David Raya, saving twice within the shoot-out, to place the hosts into the last-eight for the primary time since Arsene Wenger’s staff confronted Barcelona in 2010.
“A magic night,” mentioned Arteta. “We anticipated a very robust opponent. It’s very tough to generate momentum and that’s credit score to them.
“It’s a huge experience for us. We had to do it as well through penalties. Credit to David who had some difficult moments to start but showed incredible determination and stood up and got rewarded.”
Arsenal, roared on by a house help decided to pull their staff via, started with urgency befitting of their predicament, however they suffered a irritating first half.
Not till 4 minutes earlier than the break did the second leg tip their approach, and the aim was brilliantly made by Martin Odegaard, receiving the ball from Trossard 30-yards out and taking 4 Porto gamers out of the sport with an excellent slide-rule move.
There on the tip of if was Trossard, skipping in off the left and sliding it cooly previous Diogo Costa for 1-0.
Odegaard thought he’d given Arsenal the lead within the tie when he tapped into an empty aim within the second half, just for his effort to be dominated out for a foul by Kai Havertz on veteran defender Pepe. A livid Arteta was booked for his protests.
Gabriel Jesus got here off the bench and virtually settled issues together with his first contact, goalkeeper Costa spreading himself effectively and deflecting his effort large, earlier than Odegaard shot inches previous the put up after the goalkeeper beat out Bukayo Saka’s shot.
Porto’s risk on the break lingered all through the following further half-hour, although penalties had lengthy seemed the likeliest vacation spot.
So it proved, and it was goalkeeper Raya who was the hero, saving from defender Wendell and first-leg match-winner Galeno to ship Arsenal via.
“For (the players) to do it when the club hasn’t done it for 14 years, I tell you it will be a boost,” mentioned Arteta. “The margins are so small.
“I see how a lot they need it, how a lot they attempt to they can sacrifice something to win. When you play like this on the finish good issues are going to return your approach.
“It’s one other massive step (within the season), particularly as a membership. For seven years we haven’t been on this competitors and for 14 years we haven’t acquired this far. That tells you the problem of it. We need extra and we’re going to go for it that’s for positive.
“It’s the first time that I’ve done it in the Champions League. I try to learn every day, get advice and that’s why you have good people around you, great coaches around you as well to help you and make you better.”
Porto boss Sergio Conceicao was concerned with an altercation on the pitch with Arteta on the finish of the sport, and gave a terse rationalization of what was mentioned.
“During the game, (Arteta) turned to the bench and in Spanish – it must be a Spanish coach thing because it was the same thing with (Pep) Guardiola – he insulted my family,” he mentioned.
“In the end I told him to pay attention because who he insulted is no longer with us, and to worry about coaching his team, because due to individual quality he has an obligation to do more and better.”
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