Arsenal vs Porto LIVE!
Arsenal are celebrating their passage to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years. David Raya, the hero on Tuesday night as Premier League leaders beat Porto in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-0 win for Arsenal that equalised the knockout. Stages 1-1 in total.
Raya deflected Wendell’s penalty over the post and also denied Porto first-leg winner Galeno on a memorable night at the Emirates Stadium, with Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice scoring from 12 yards as Arsenal emerged victorious. They had already equalised shortly before the break when Leandro Trossard fired home after a superb assist from Odegaard, who also saw a goal disallowed for a foul by Havertz on Pepe.
Arsenal now proudly take their position in Friday’s quarter-final draw, having ended a run of seven consecutive Champions League ties in their first appearance at the festival since 2016/17. Follow Arsenal’s reaction to Porto below, with expert research from Standard Sport. Simon Collings and Dan Kilpatrick in the Emirates.
Highlights of Arsenal vs Porto
Arsenal are playing in the Champions League this season for the first time since 2016/17, when they were eliminated in the round of 16 for the seventh consecutive season with a humiliating 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich.
The Gunners have not reached the quarter-finals since the 2009/10 season, when they lost 2-1 at Porto in the first leg of the round of 16 before winning 5-0 at home thanks to a hat-trick from Nicklas Bendtner. They were then eliminated via Barcelona.
Inspirational captain Martin Odegaard called on his team to show tonight that they belong at the highest level.
“We have to depend on ourselves and what we can do and the history we can make,” Odegaard said. “That’s our goal.
“We are Arsenal, we want to win trophies, fight at the highest level and play the most important games. This is a wonderful opportunity to prove it.
“I don’t think we think too much about the past. Obviously, you have to keep building your own story.
“We need to do amazing things with this team and that’s our goal: to do it ourselves right now.
“It’s a big goal and a big dream for all the players to go far in this competition. It’s a great motivation for all of us and that’s what we play for.
Standard Sport’s Arsenal correspondent Simon Collings has arrived for what could be a standout evening in the Emirates.
About an hour away from the official news now.
The first leg at the Estadio do Dragao on February 21 was an incredibly cautious affair, with Arsenal controlling ownership but failing to score a single shot on target all night.
Porto had more chances and Galeno, who replaced the injured Gabriel Martinelli in Brazil’s national team, scored a brilliant result in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, having hit the post earlier.
The Gunners haven’t missed a beat since that setback, beating Newcastle and Sheffield United in the Premier League before Saturday’s win over Brentford to take them to the top, where they remain on goal difference after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester. City at Anfield on Sundays.
And Mikel Arteta believes they have learned from their disappointing performance in Porto, a game in which 36 fouls were committed and only 50 minutes of playing time.
“Every week the opponent has their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their way of playing,” he said.
“We know them a little better now. We’ve played a lot of those games in the Premier League. We’re just going to do it for ourselves and do more than we did in Porto.
“We’re going to have to tweak some things to generate a lot more than we’ve been doing. That’s the goal of the Champions League.
“You’re playing against the most sensible teams. The fact that there are two games in your brain and that tomorrow we have to be better.
“Make a lot of smart decisions and then be brave. You can’t wait in those situations, you have to pass out and make things happen. This is the technique of tomorrow. “
Mikel Arteta has advised his players to remain calm amid the inevitable play that will unfold tonight, while urging space enthusiasts to “make some noise” to get his team across the baseline.
“The context of the game is very important. We know we have a game to play,” he said.
“There are times that can happen that can be drastically replaced quickly. It’s the Champions League and you have to be in position for those kinds of games.
“I think the effect they can have on them (the fans) is incredible. I don’t think they realize that.
“We want that noise, we want each and every ball to play with us and we also want that emotional control to understand that the game is going to go through certain stages and we have to be smart to get what we want.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one of those nights. It’s been 14 years, so anything we put into it will be worth it.
“This is the opportunity we have. In front of our people, in our stadium for minutes. Bring your energy, bring your noise, and let’s do it together.
I think it’s fair to say that Porto’s enthusiastic travellers are fit to play tonight’s game, if the following video is anything to miss.
Expect an atmosphere in the Emirates tonight!
Arsenal will have first-choice goalkeeper David Raya between the posts tonight.
The Spaniard, on loan from Brentford, will not be able to face his parent club in the Premier League on Saturday, prompting a rare departure of assistant Aaron Ramsdale.
England’s foreigner gifted the Bees the equalizer through Yoane Wissa with a terrible mistake, but fortunately he didn’t charge them thanks to the beaten winner Kai Havertz.
However, Arsenal fans will be grateful for Raya’s return for such a match tonight.
You can’t overlook Porto, but Arsenal are on such a wave at the moment that it’s hard to look past them.
They score goals to laugh at and brim with confidence.
They are expected to put Porto under a lot of pressure from the start of tonight.
If they score a good goal early in the game, it might be a really fun evening, without too much nerves or tension.
Arsenal 3-1.
Meanwhile, Porto seems to have gained a double boost in the national team tonight.
Key striker Mehdi Taremi is expected to play after missing the final month of action (the first-leg win over Arsenal) due to a thigh injury.
Similarly, Brazilian left-back Wendell, who took a hit against the Gunners last time out.
However, Nigerian defender Zaidu Sanusi remains absent, as do winger Gabriel Veron and veteran centre-back Ivan Marcano.
Much like their 2-1 home win over London rivals Brentford on Saturday night, which left them atop the Premier League table for the first time since Christmas with just 10 games left this season, Arsenal remain without Gabriel Martinelli until the evening.
The winger had to leave the box with a cut on his foot after scoring in the 6-0 thrashing of Shefbox United last week and has yet to return to training, and has also withdrawn from the Brazilian national team for upcoming high-profile friendlies against England and Spain.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has returned to form after a calf injury, while compatriot Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to be in contention for his first appearance for Arsenal since New Year’s Eve tonight after suffering his own calf problem while out for Japan at the Asian Cup.
Tomiyasu trained at London Colney and early reports on social media claim he will be with the team tonight.
Jurrien Timber also continues to increase his workload, although it’s unclear exactly when he’ll recover from ACL surgery.
TV Channel: In the UK, tonight’s match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage begins at 7 p. m.
Live streaming: Subscribers will also be able to watch it live through the Discovery app and website.
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