Arsenal 1-0 Porto (agg 1-1, 4-2 on penalties): David Raya saves two spot-kicks as Gunners attain Champions League quarter-finals TERMAN WEBSITE

Arsenal banished the echoes of outdated vulnerabilities on the Emirates final night time after they survived a nail-biting, fractious extra-time and penalties ordeal towards FC Porto and eventually conquered the curse that had turned them into the kings of second spherical exits within the Champions League.

Wild scenes of celebration erupted across the stadium when David Raya dived to his left to save lots of Porto’s fourth penalty from Galeno and make sure that Arsenal, who had scored every of their first 4 kicks, couldn’t be caught. Raya had additionally saved from Wendell earlier within the shoot-out.

Arsenal’s final seven appearances within the competitors had ended within the spherical of 16 however not this time. It was a removed from convincing efficiency however after the tie had completed stage at 1-1, Mikel Arteta’s aspect held their nerve on the final they usually now be part of their Premier League title rivals Manchester Metropolis, and Actual Madrid, Barcelona and the remainder within the final eight.

The hopes and fears of so a few years had hung closely over the Emirates on a dank night in north London. It was an evening laden with recollections of previous glories for FC Porto and of previous failings for Arsenal, an evening when two groups got here to struggle to make amends and shoot for immortality.

It was 20 years in the past this week when Porto went to Previous Trafford for the second leg of one other final 16 tie, making an attempt to guard a one objective lead, simply as they have been making an attempt to guard it on the Emirates.

David Raya saved twice within the penalty shoot-out as Arsenal reached the quarter-finals

Arsenal transformed all 4 of their penalties to progress after a hard-fought tie towards Porto

Arsenal gamers swarmed Raya after the Spaniard stored their Champions League hopes alive

It was 20 years in the past after they surprised Manchester United with a last-gasp equaliser and their supervisor, Jose Mourinho, who was about to be catapulted to superstardom, ran from the bench and slid down the touchline on his knees.

Porto gained the match that yr so their hopes of matching that achievement this yr are forlorn. Arsenal’s goal was not fairly as daunting. It had been 14 years since they final certified even for the final eight of this competitors.

To have been eradicated on the second spherical stage greater than every other aspect – together with of their final seven successive appearances – shouldn’t be the type of file anybody needs to set and it stung them like historical past’s rebuke as they ran out in entrance of their followers.

Brazilian winger Galeno had scored for Sergio Conceicao’s aspect deep into added time on the finish of the primary leg in Porto final month so as to add some surprising jeopardy to this tie however Arsenal’s followers have been so assured of progressing, outwardly a minimum of, that they popularised the hashtag ‘pray for Porto’ on social media.

‘This stadium goes to have the vitality that you’ve got by no means seen in your life as a result of we haven’t carried out it for 14 years,’ Arteta stated earlier than the sport. These are heady instances for his crew as they gear up for the ultimate phases of their try and win their first home title for 20 years and the group responded with the passion Arteta demanded.

Arteta had began with Trossard on the left of the entrance three as a result of Gabriel Martinelli was nonetheless absent with a foot harm and was seen on the stadium earlier than the sport on crutches. It’s thought he will probably be out for a minimum of two weeks however then it’s 19 days till Arsenal play once more.

To nobody’s nice shock, Porto massed their defence initially and soaked up Arsenal’s stress. Bukayo Saka introduced a clumsy save out of Diogo Costa with a fierce low shot, Martin Odegaard fired simply large and Ben White headed over the bar. Porto appeared as in the event that they have been ready for an extended night time of resistance.

Halfway by the half, Porto offered Arsenal with a reminder that they might not be content material simply to take a seat again. Evanilson received the ball on the sting of dwelling aspect’s space and curled his shot spherical Gabriel. David Raya flung himself to his left to push the ball away. The stadium went a little bit quiet for the primary time.

Leandro Trossard have levelled the tie within the first half after a cross from Martin Odegaard

Arsenal tried to construct on the momentum after Trossard’s objective towards a reslient Porto

Out of the blue, Arsenal started to look a little bit extra tentative. Their physique language modified. Jorginho berated his teammates for an absence of urgency, Arteta grew extra animated on the touchline, the Porto followers made extra noise, the Arsenal supporters turned extra annoyed with Porto’s potential to eat the clock.

Arsenal got here near breaking the impasse after half an hour when Ben White lofted a fragile chip to the again publish the place Kai Havertz was lurking. Pepe, Porto’s veteran skipper, confirmed an agility that belied his 41 years, leaping excessive to get the faintest contact on the ball, which skimmed off his brow and eluded Havertz.

The creeping sense of unease was heightened when William Saliba was booked for dragging down Galeno because the Brazilian winger spun previous him however then, 4 minutes earlier than half time the second of catharsis got here.

Trossard and Odegaard exchanged passes on the sting of the Porto space earlier than Odegaard threaded an excellent by ball inside the total again into the trail of the Belgium winger. Trossard took it on his proper foot and positioned it exactly previous Diogo Costa in order that it nestled simply contained in the far publish.

The final Arsenal participant to attain within the knock out phases of the Champions League was Theo Walcott and he was sitting within the press field on the Emirates watching the brand new breed attempt to construct on the Trossard objective that had introduced them stage within the tie.

Porto responded by redoubling their time-wasting ways initially of the second half. Evanilson tried an overhead kick after which lay susceptible within the Arsenal space as play continued. To the fury of the house crowd, the French referee Clement Turpin known as a halt in play.

Arsenal thought they’d the second objective they wanted halfway by the half when Odegaard lifted a neat end into an empty web however the referee dominated the objective out as a result of Havertz had tugged Pepe again by the shirt within the build-up. Within the ensuing furore, Arteta was booked for suggesting VAR ought to evaluation the choice.

The environment grew febrile once more because the minutes ticked down. Porto ate up it. They might sense Arsenal’s nerves and their inexperience at this stage of the competitors. Not that they have been proof against histrionics. When a choice went towards his crew, Sergio Conceicao misplaced his mood so spectacularly on the touchline that he, too, was booked.

Gabriel Jesus got here on eight minutes from the tip and practically scored along with his first contact. He tried to squeeze his shot underneath the physique of Diogo Costa but it surely cannoned off the goalkeeper’s bottom and bounced into the side-netting.

The amount cranked up. Odegaard urged the group to make much more noise. Diogo Costa beat away a shot by Saka and Odegaard pulled the rebound simply large. Arsenal threw all the pieces they might at Porto as additional time approached however the breakthrough simply wouldn’t come. It was all the way down to David Raya and the penalty shoot-out.