Arsenal’s return to the UEFA Champions League knockouts continued with a 1-0 win over Porto, and former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou offered his verdict on a tight night at Emirates Stadium as he also named his pick for UEFA’s Man of the Match.
The Gunners went into the second leg trailing after losing 1-0 in Portugal, leaving them with no choice but to chase the tie while staying patient against an organised Porto side. Mikel Arteta’s team dominated the ball for long spells but found clear chances hard to come by as Porto defended deep and looked to slow the rhythm of the game.
Arsenal finally broke through in the second half when Leandro Trossard struck to put the home side 1-0 up on the night and level the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. With neither team able to find a winner in normal time or extra time, the contest went to penalties.
In the shootout, goalkeeper David Raya delivered the decisive moment, saving spot-kicks to put Arsenal through 4-2 on penalties and into the quarter-finals. It ended a long wait for Arsenal, who had not been beyond the last 16 of the competition for 14 years.
Postecoglou, speaking as a pundit, highlighted Arsenal’s control and discipline across the 120 minutes, but also pointed to Porto’s ability to frustrate and disrupt as a major factor in how the match played out. He felt the tie demanded calm rather than chaos, with Arsenal needing to keep belief even when the chances were limited.
The former Spurs head coach also revealed who he would have selected for UEFA’s Man of the Match award from the game, praising Raya for his composure and the impact of his penalty saves when the pressure was at its highest.
