Arsenal vs FC Porto – David Raya The Difference Maker As Arsenal Progress To The Quarter Finals
As both sets of players from Arsenal and FC Porto entered the pitch at Emirates Stadium this evening, fans from across the world were intrigued to see if the Gunners could overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg. This match was an opportunity for the Premier League leaders to progress to the quarter finals in this competition for the first time since 2010 when they beat, you guessed it, Porto.
First Half
Given Arsenal’s recent dominant form in the league, you could be forgiven for thinking this would be a straight-forward affair. However, Porto were the dominant side for the opening 25 minutes, as the Portuguese side stuck to their gameplan meticulously, with rapid, effective counter attacks leading to an instinctive effort from striker Evanilson, coupled with intelligent gamesmanship to take their time on goal-kicks and fouls, led by 41-year-old Pepe. Arsenal struggled to get their key players into the game, as Bukayo Saka was being nullified by left back Wendell, and it was clear it would take a moment of magic to split open the Porto defence.
Much to Arsenal fans’ delight, this would arrive in the 40th minute, when Martin Ødegaard showed some fantastic quick feet to evade the Porto defenders, before sliding through a neat pass to Leandro Trossard, who placed the ball across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner, giving Arsenal the lead on the night and drawing them level on aggregate. As the first half ended, Arsenal would perhaps be the happier of the two sides, scoring at a key moment before the break, giving them momentum to go into the second half and finish the job.
Second Half
As the second half commenced, it must be commended how Porto managed to calm the game down and prevent it from getting out of their control. Despite Arsenal’s dominance in possession and territory, the North London outfit struggled to create any clear-cut chances to test Diogo Costa in the Porto goal.
The game suddenly burst to life in the 67th minute, as a hopeful ball was played in behind the Porto defence, causing havoc at the back, as neither Pepe nor his goalkeeper claimed the ball, with Kai Havertz following in pursuit. This would lead to the ball rebounding to the edge of the box, with Martin Ødegaard tapping the ball into the empty net, giving Arsenal what they thought could be the winning goal. Much to their dismay, VAR official, Jérôme Brisard, overruled the goal citing a foul by Havertz who had pulled the shirt of Pepe in the lead-up to the goal, keeping the score at 1-1 on aggregate.
Extra Time and Penalties
As the game progressed, it would become more and more open, as both teams were determined to progress to the next round. Arsenal continued to show their attacking intent as striker Gabriel Jesus was brought on in place of midfielder Jorginho, in the hopes of bolstering their options in front of goal.
Despite the exciting finish to the 90 minutes, the game finished 1-0 to Arsenal and 1-1 on aggregate, which meant extra time was in order. The thirty minutes that followed produced little in terms of chances and goal-mouth action, but what it did signify was the first penalty shootout the Champions League had seen since the 2015/16 final.
With the Emirates crowd on the edge of their seats, the pressure would eventually prove too much for Porto, as Arsenal were flawless with their spot-kicks, with David Raya making the difference as he produced two magnificent saves to send Arsenal through to the quarter finals after a dramatic two-legs between the two sides.
Player Ratings
Arsenal: David Raya (8.9), Ben White (7.4), William Saliba (7.4), Gabriel (7.3), Jakub Kiwior (7.1), Jorginho (6.5), Declan Rice (7.5), Martin Ødegaard (7.7), Bukayo Saka (7.6), Leandro Trossard (8.1), Kai Havertz (7.1). Substitutes: Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Eddie Nketiah.
FC Porto: Diogo Costa (6.3), Joao Mario (7.2), Pepe (6.5), Otavio (6.3), Wendell (7.8), Nico González (6.4), Alan Varela (6.9), Pepe (7.1), Chico Conceicao (6.5), Wenderson Galeno (6.8), Evanilson (6.4). Substitutes: Jorge Sánchez, Mehdi Taremi, Marko Grujic, Stephen Eustaquio, Goncalo Borges.
