Match report
I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from a big night at the Emirates. Thanks for joining me, it’s been fun. Goodnight.
David Raya saved two penalties as Arsenal prevailed in the shootout to return to the quarter-finals after 14 years
I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from a big night at the Emirates. Thanks for joining me, it’s been fun. Goodnight.
And here’s Bukayo Saka: “I’m buzzing, just happy we’re going to the quarter-finals. To win on penalties was amazing for the spirit. These are the games we’ve worked hard for, for years. Tonight was beautiful.” Martin Keown asks him about the City game, drawing a wry smile from Saka and Rio Ferdinand.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum and a lot of belief that we can go there and win. Who does he want to play next? “I don’t want to say anything rash!” What has Arteta said? “A lot of shouting and joy … he’s buzzing! We put in good work and it’s paid off.”
Here’s Mikel Arteta, who can’t keep the smile off his face. “It’s been 14 years – a long time for a club like Arsenal. We had to dig in today, and find the magic moment. In the stadium, we were all pushing to get it done, and we did it. This is where we want to be, and we worked so hard.”
“It was really difficult, Porto are a really competitive team. You don’t get time to control the game, but we scored a goal in a really important moment. We didn’t have many chances, but we managed to do it! The energy the fans brought helped us the whole way. They made us win.”
This really does feel like a big moment for this Arsenal side – winning 1-0 and getting by on penalties might not seem impressive on paper. But there were so many moments when they could have lost their heads; instead, they kept their composure, particularly in the shootout. I’m not expecting this team to go on and lift the trophy, but they’ve cleared a big psychological hurdle tonight.
“Phew! No prizes for guessing what the hot topic of conversation will be at the next Trossard-Turpin family reunion!” writes Peter Oh.
“Perhaps xG is an imperfect statistic, but a cumulative figure of 1.5 across 120 minutes of football tells me the game itself was pretty dire,” writes Robert Speed. You’re right, xG is an imperfect statistic.
Arsenal’s next game is 19 days away – at Manchester City when the Premier League returns. It’s hard to overstate how much better they’ll feel during the international break after getting through tonight.
Here’s the Arsenal hero, David Raya: “It’s a great feeling, especially for me personally. First time in the Champions League for me, first time for the club to get the quarter-finals in many years. We’ve been working on penalties a lot, for nights like this. All the hard work has paid off. It’s a great moment personally and collectively … although I should have saved three!”
It’s Galeno up next – and Raya saves again!! Arsenal are through after an epic, nerve-shredding battle. And they deserve it after showing such composure in the shootout. They’re into the last eight for the first time since 2010!
Rice scores! Arsenal 4-2 Porto Declan Rice up next, and he drills his penalty down the middle, beyond Costa’s dive. Arsenal are on the verge …
Grujic scores! Arsenal 3-2 Porto Raya gets a hand to it again – but this time, Grujic’s shot has too much power and loops into the corner!
Saka scores! Arsenal 3-1 Porto It’s Bukayo Saka up next – and he buries his effort inside Costa’s right-hand post! Porto are in must-score territory …
Wendell is up next – but David Raya gets his fingertips to the ball, and turns it on to the post. Advantage Arsenal!
Havertz scores! Arsenal 2-1 Porto Kai Havertz is the coolest man in the stadium, stuttering in his run-up and rolling the ball in the corner when Costa moves.
Pepê scores! Arsenal 1-1 Porto The Other Pepe with a carbon-copy of Odegaard’s effort, except he sends his shot to Raya’s right with the keeper going left.
Odegaard scores! Arsenal 1-0 Porto Odegaard shimmies in his run-up, and then strokes the ball into the corner as Costa goes the other way.
Odegaard hugs his former Real Madrid teammate, Pepe, before the coin toss. The Arsenal captain gets the choice of end, and also opts for his side to take their spot-kicks first.
The first penalty shootout in the Champions League since the 2016 final is coming right up.
119 mins: But hold on – there’s still time for one more Arsenal free kick. Arteta tells his players to wait, but when it’s eventually played short, the whistle blows. We’re going to penalties!
118 mins: Arsenal have to build from the back, Nketiah dropping deep to find Havertz, who is then beaten to the ball by Pepe, 41 years young. Time running out here – and Ally McCoist wonders aloud whether Arteta might throw Aaron Ramsdale on for penalties.
116 mins: Havertz is booked for bundling over The Other Pepê as he looked to break away downfield. There can’t be many complaints about that one.
115 mins: More worrying is the sight of Odegaard going down without any contact. That allows Borges a hopeful shot at goal, which is deflected into Raya’s arms. Odegaard appears to be OK to continue, at least.
113 mins: Zinchenko pings the ball into Nketiah’s feet, but the striker slips on the edge of the area. Moments later, Jesus looks to have cleanly prised the ball from Borges – but the referee awards a free-kick. Such exquisite frustration for the home fans.
112 mins: Havertz and Jesus try to play a one-two, but Pepe disrupts it and celebrates like he’s just scored. Porto are still pressing with such intensity as we approach the two-hour mark.
110 mins: It almost arrives here, a quick passing move sparked by Odegaard, with Nketiah finding Saka – but the unmovable Otavio is in the right place again to charge the shot down.
108 mins: Arsenal just haven’t been able to get their attacking momentum back in extra time, with Porto currently looking the more likely on the break. It only takes one moment of magic, though, and Arsenal are certainly capable.
107 mins: Borges’ languid cross deflects off Zinchenko, and the Porto man is able to win the corner, in front of the noisy away end. Nervous moments for Arsenal … but Raya is there to cleanly claim the ball.
106 mins: Zinchenko is on for Kiwior at left-back, while Nketiah replaces the goalscorer, Trossard. Declan Rice is still out there after being stretched like pizza dough by the Arsenal physios during that quick break.
Just a reminder, in the unlikely event you needed one, that it’s 1-1 on aggregate – and unless someone scores in the next 15 minutes, it’ll be penalties.
Arteta is about to bring on Eddie Nketiah and Oleksandr Zinchenko – but that’ll have to wait, as an extremely edgy first half of extra time comes to a close.
104 mins: The ball sails out of play and in trying to collect it, Havertz runs into the Porto manager – then gives him a little shove for good measure! The Porto players are quick to protest, but Turpin lets Havertz off with a warning.
102 mins: Galeno, who has rather faded as an attacking threat, fails to chase down a long ball down the left, to cheers from the Arsenal fans.
101 mins: Francisco Conceicao and Nico Gonzalez are the men going off, having both worked tirelessly in the Porto engine room. Stephen Eustaquio, a Canadian international, comes on along with Gonçalo Borges.
100 mins: You can hear the collective intake of breath as Kiwior is caught on the ball, allowing Taremi to advance down the left. He cuts inside, but shoots high and wide of goal from a tight angle.
98 mins (ET): Conceicao prepares to make two more changes, as Nico Gonzalez gets back to help Wendell out in dealing with Saka down the right.
97 mins (ET): Bukayo Saka is taking this one – but Pepe is there to head clear. Arsenal come again, but the grizzled centre-back is on hand again to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick with Jesus lurking behind him.
96 mins (ET): Porto now have every player back in their own half – but they can’t prevent Odegaard winning a corner with a velvety touch from Rice’s throw in.
94 mins (ET): Now Otavio is whistled for a less conspicuous challenge on Saka on that right-hand side. Odegaard lifts the ball in, but it’s cleared away from the onrushing Saka as Porto hold firm again.