Arsenal’s 14-year await a spot within the Champions League quarterfinals is over, thanks largely to David Raya’s penalty saves.
Arsenal’s David Raya celebrates after saving from FC Porto’s Galeno to win the penalty shoot-out(REUTERS)
Raya tipped one spot kick by Porto’s Wendell towards the put up after which palmed away one other from Galeno to safe a 4-2 win in a penalty shootout on Tuesday on the Emirates Stadium.
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It ended a protracted streak of round-of-16 losses for Arsenal, which had been eradicated at this stage in its final seven appearances within the competitors however gained 1-0 to stage the combination rating at 1-1.
And it was an enormous second for Raya, who was introduced in final summer season to exchange Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No. 1 — a call that has been often questioned by the membership’s supporters this season.
“Obviously it’s a great feeling for me personally, first time in the Champions League and for the club to get into the quarterfinals for the first time in so many years,” Raya said. “We’ve worked a lot on penalties this year and all the hard work with the goalie coach and the team has paid off.”
It was the first penalty shootout in the Champions League since the 2016 final won by Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona also reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Napoli in Tuesday’s other game to advance 4-2 on aggregate.
Arsenal trailed 1-0 from the first leg in Portugal — when Galeno scored the winner deep into stoppage time — but went level through Leandro Trossard’s 41st-minute goal. Neither side could find another goal despite extra time as Porto’s disciplined defensive tactics largely held Arsenal at bay.
Arsenal endured seven straight round-of-16 losses under Arsene Wenger from 2011-17, the last time the London club played in the competition. Porto last reached the quarterfinals in 2021 but hasn’t been past that stage since winning the title in 2004 under Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now has a chance to do what Wenger never could — win Europe’s biggest trophy.
“So happy. It has been 14 years, which is a long time for a club like Arsenal and it shows how difficult it was,” said Arteta, whose team is also top of the Premier League. “We really had to dig in to find the magic moment at the end. We’re starting to create an unbelievable energy in the stadium, we were all pushing to get it done and together we have done it.”
Porto had snatched the win with a last-minute long-range strike within the dwelling leg and did its greatest to guard that benefit with a mix of stout defending and a wide range of time-wasting methods.
But the hosts did have a few probabilities within the first half, with striker Evanilson capturing narrowly broad from exterior the world within the sixteenth after Arsenal gave the ball away after which drawing a very good save from Raya from the middle of the world within the twenty second.
Arsenal’s sustained stress lastly paid off when Trossard scored with a low shot contained in the far put up after being teed up within the space by Martin Odegaard. The shot went by the legs of veteran defender Pepe, who at 41 is the oldest outfield participant to play in a Champions League match and the identical age as Arteta.
Arsenal had a second aim dominated out within the second half when Odegaard put the ball into an empty web however Kai Havertz was adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Diogo Costa moments earlier than.
Gabriel Jesus almost scored straight after approaching within the 83rd minute with a shot that just about snuck between Costa’s legs however deflected out for a nook.
Odegaard had an ideal probability moments later after Bukayo Saka burst ahead and drew a save from Costa, with the rebound touchdown on the Norway midfielder’s toes, however he fired broad with the online gaping.
Porto substitute Mehdi Taremi had the primary probability in further time when he broke into the world within the one hundred and first however curled his shot broad of the far put up. Saka then had a shot blocked on the final second within the a hundred and tenth after being teed up by substitute Eddie Nketiah within the field.
Odegaard, Havertz, Saka and Declan Rice all scored for Arsenal within the penalty shootout, organising Raya’s decisive save when he dove to his left to disclaim Galeno.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
