Arsenal 1-0 Porto (Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties): What Were The Key Talking Points As The Gunners Punch A Champions League Quarter-Final Ticket At The Emirates?

In what was a nail-biting Champions League showdown from the Emirates on Tuesday night, Arsenal punched their quarter-final ticket thanks to a penalties victory against Porto.

While the Gunners might have suffered a 1-0 first-leg defeat when they travelled over to Portugal on February 20th, Leandro Trossard dragged Arsenal level on the night just four minutes before the interval.

Although Mikel Arteta’s young squad might have failed to find a dramatic late winner after being taken to extra-time, Arsenal certainly held their nerve with a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders.

With all of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice converting from the spot, David Raya proved to be Arsenal’s hero as the Spanish shot-stopper denied both Galeno and Wendell’s efforts.

Although Porto might have suffered major European heartbreak here as they missed out on the chance to claim an iconic scalp, the Portuguese giants should leave the capital with their heads held high.

On a night when Arsenal punched a first Champions League quarter-final ticket since 2010, we have taken a look at the key talking points from north London.

Arsenal show their mental resolve

While Arsenal might have eventually fallen short last season in their bid to claim a first domestic crown since 2004, Arteta’s high-flying squad have their sights firmly set on making real history this time around.

In the midst of what has been a stunning Premier League romp and currently leading the chase at the top of the table, the Gunners are riding what has been a real wave of momentum.

Heading into Tuesday’s second-leg after collecting a dramatic 2-1 victory against London rivals Brentford over the weekend, Arsenal have now win nine of their previous 10 appearances across all competitions.

With that extended purple patch stemming all the way back to an FA Cup defeat against Liverpool on January 7th, Arteta’s camp should be fancying their chances of mounting a genuine European charge this year.

Handed an extended rest with March’s international break fast approaching on the horizon, Arsenal will be next seen when they travel to Manchester City for a season-defining showdown on March 31st.

Porto should leave with their heads held high

Although Porto might have missed out on the chance to complete a famous Champions League upset here, the Portuguese giants would have gained plenty of admirers from across the continent.

While Trossard did find a way to breach their resilient defence four minutes before the half-time break, Sergio Conceicao’s men certainly frustrated Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday night.

With their defence marshalled by the evergreen 41-year-old Pepe, Porto should take plenty of positives away from their performance once the dust settles.

Not offering Arsenal the chance to find any kind of fluidity in the final third, the Dragons will now have all of their eggs firmly placed back into this season’s Primeira Liga basket.

Making a major domestic statement earlier in the month as they opened March with a remarkable 5-0 romp at home against historic rivals Benfica and suffering just a single top-flight defeat since getting the New Year underway, Conceicao’s side have still created a real platform to build on.

Raya saves the day for Arsenal

While the likes of Saka and Rice might have continued to steal most of Arsenal’s headlines this season, it was certainly Arsenal’s number-one who proved to be Arteta’s hero on Tuesday night.

With Aaron Ramsdale making what could have been a costly clanger after being briefly recalled against Brentford over the weekend, Arteta has been filled with praise for the impact that Raya has made since arriving in north London last summer.

Renowned for his ability to play out from the back, it undeniably raised plenty of eyebrows when the Spanish international replaced Ramsdale as Arsenal’s first choice between the sticks.

Although Raya might have only arrived from Brentford on an initial season-long loan switch, it is no surprise that the Gunners will be making that move a permanent one.

Denying both Galeno and Wendell’s spot kicks and sending Arsenal to a first Champions League quarter-final ticket since 2010, Raya has certainly written himself into the Gunners’ folklore here.

Match Report

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliva, Gabriel, Kiwior, Odegaard, Rice, Jorginho, Saka, Havertz, Trossard

Subs: Jesus, Zinchenko, Nketiah

Porto: Costa, Joao Mario, Pepe, Otavio, Wendell, Varela, Nico, Conceicao, Pepe, Galeno, Evanilson

Subs: Borges, Grujic, Sanchez, Taremi, Eustaquilo

Goals: Trossard (41’)

Yellow Cards: Arsenal: Saliba, Havertz – Porto: Pepe

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Clement Turpin