David Raya’s heroics in goal saved two penalties as Arsenal edged past Porto 4-2 in a shootout, securing their first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.
Despite Leandro Trossard’s first-half equalizer erasing the first-leg deficit, Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to create chances, with the tie finishing 1-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal’s penalty takers were flawless, while Raya denied Wendell and Galeno from the spot, marking the Premier League leaders’ first appearance in the quarter-finals since 2010.
Arteta, who experienced four straight defeats at this stage as a player, has now guided Arsenal into the final eight, ending their seven-year Champions League absence.
The match threatened to boil over at times, with both Arteta and Porto’s coach, Sergio Conceicao, receiving cautions in what was also Arteta’s first knockout win at the Emirates Stadium.
The game saw a mix of chances, with Ben White’s header and Bukayo Saka’s strike testing Porto’s goalkeeper, Diogo Costa, while Evanilson and Francisco Conceicao threatened on the counter-attack for Porto.
Arsenal broke the deadlock before halftime, with Martin Odegaard’s exquisite pass setting up Trossard’s goal. The goal injected energy into Arsenal’s play in the second half, but the tie remained deadlocked.
Porto had a goal disallowed for a foul, and both managers were booked for their protests. Despite late chances for both sides, including a smart save by Costa from Gabriel Jesus, the game went to extra time.
In extra time, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi missed a good opportunity, and tempers flared on the touchline between Sergio Conceicao and Kai Havertz.
With the game still level after extra time, the match went to penalties. Odegaard, Pepe, Havertz, and Rice scored for Arsenal, while Raya’s save from Galeno secured their place in the quarter-finals, erasing memories of past knockout disappointments.