Arsenal has reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 after beating Porto 4-2 in a penalty shootout to end a streak of seven eliminations in the round of 16. David Raya saved Galeno’s spot kick to seal the win for Arsenal which had won the game 1-0 to level the aggregate score at 1-1.
Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, center, scores during the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between Arsenal and Porto at the Emirates Stadium, London, Tuesday March 12, 2024. Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, right, punches the ball clear during the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between Arsenal and Porto at the Emirates Stadium, London, Tuesday March 12, 2024.
And it was a massive moment for Raya, who was brought in last summer to replace Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No. 1 — a decision that has been frequently questioned by the club’s supporters this season. 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.
“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.”
Arsenal’s sustained pressure finally paid off when Trossard scored with a low shot inside the far post after being teed up in the area by Martin Odegaard. The shot went through the legs of veteran defender Pepe, who at 41 is the oldest outfield player to play in a Champions League match and the same age as Arteta.