- Arsenal defeated Porto on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League
- It is the first time since 2010 that the Gunners have reached this far
- It was huge for Arsenal to find a way to beat Brentford – there are so many things bouncing their way now. Listen to the It all starts podcast
A late-night thriller via penalties was never an option. In fairness to Porto, just like the first leg, they were stiff, stubborn and ready for battle.
For Arsenal, the price of this victory is insurmountable. For the first time in fourteen years, a quarter-final place in the Champions League awaits.
Naturally, as many forecasters said in advance, they expected to close things within the regulatory timeframe.
Porto are a good team. But, as the Liga Portugal table indicates, they sit third in their league, seven points behind leaders Sporting Lisbon.
Nevertheless, the Gunners got the job done. It doesn’t always have to be simple or beautiful. The record books don’t take that aspect into account.
Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League by winning a penalty shootout against Porto
Declan Rice scored the Gunners’ fourth and crucial penalty on Tuesday evening
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As well as going one step further in a competition this club has never won, Mikel Arteta’s men can use this victory as a catalyst. It could be the page they needed to turn before embarking on a path to a historic season.
Only they and Manchester City remain in contention for both the Premier League and the Champions League. Before the January break, that scenario was unthinkable for the Gunners. But here they are.
The goals are pouring in, Arteta has a fully strong team for the first time in months and confidence is flowing.
The ability to pick up wins regardless of performance is an aspect that the Gunners have lacked in recent years. But not now.
There is a sense of momentum and purpose around the North London club. Last night we were reminded that Arsenal are not perfect by any means but want to win trophies this season.
Martin Odegaard’s disallowed goal in the 68th minute could easily have deflated the sails and caused a distraction. Instead, they put that setback aside and rallied for overtime and beyond.
There are still plenty of hurdles to overcome before the season ends if they want to achieve anything close to their dreams, but everything still needs to be played, and that’s the most important thing to begin with.
Mikel Arteta (left) praised David Raya (right) after the keeper saved two penalties
Martin Odegaard (right) had a goal disallowed in the second half but scored the first penalty in the shootout as Arsenal reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010
Their second-place finish in the league the previous season gave the Gunners a taste of second place.
It certainly must have whet their appetite to have something to show off their achievements this time. Especially because the players and their boss mentioned this shortcoming again and again in the preparation and the first weeks of this season.
Whatever Arsenal achieve in the coming weeks, tonight’s message to their rivals is clear: we are here to fight. And hard.