Arsenal are through to the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009, but they were given a major fright by a resilient FC Porto side at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Gunners entered the second leg trailing 1-0 from the first match in Portugal. The tie remained deadlocked after a tense and goalless first half in London, with Porto’s disciplined defense frustrating Mikel Arteta’s men.
The breakthrough finally came in the 41st minute. A well-worked short corner found Martin Ødegaard, whose perfectly weighted pass split the Porto defense. Leandro Trossard calmly slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to level the aggregate score at 1-1.
With no further goals in regular time, the match headed into extra time. Both teams had chances, but a combination of last-ditch defending and wayward finishing meant the tie would be decided by a penalty shootout.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya emerged as the hero. The Spaniard saved spot-kicks from Wendell and Galeno, while his teammates converted all four of their attempts. Captain Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice all held their nerve from twelve yards.
The 4-2 shootout victory sparked wild celebrations at the Emirates, but the nature of the performance will raise questions. For long periods, Arsenal struggled to break down a Porto side that offered little attacking threat of their own, leading to criticism that the Premier League leaders looked “unthreatening” for much of the evening.
Porto manager Sérgio Conceição acknowledged his team’s effort. “We executed our plan almost perfectly over 210 minutes,” he said. “We are proud but sad. The details decided it.”
Arsenal’s focus now shifts to a historic semifinal clash. They will face the winner of the tie between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, with the first leg scheduled for April 30 or May 1. The Gunners have cleared a significant mental hurdle, but they will need a more incisive performance to progress further in their quest for a first Champions League crown.
