After 118 minutes of intense back-and-forth action, Arsenal and FC Porto deadlocked at 1-1 ends with a dramatic penalty shootout.
It was a night filled with tension, excitement, and nail-biting moments as Arsenal faced off against FC Porto in the round of 16 of the Champions League. From the first whistle, it was evident that this was going to be a closely contested game.
In the first-half, both teams had their chances. But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock in the 41st minute. Leandro Trossard, who had been a constant menace for the Porto defense, latched onto a through ball from Martin Ødegaard and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper making it Arsenal 1-0 Porto (1-1).
The Emirates erupted with joy as Arsenal took the lead. Regardless, there was still a lot of football left to play. While pushing for an equalizer, FC Porto showed their attacking prowess in the second half. But the Arsenal defense held firm and kept their narrow lead intact.
Approaching the penalty shoot-out, the tension in the stadium was noticeable as both teams stepped up to take their spot-kicks. Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice all scored for Arsenal, while Pepe and Marko Grujić found the back of the net for Porto making it 4-2. Wendell hits the post and Porto’s Galeno stepped up to take the final penalty. The pressure was on him to score and keep Porto’s hopes alive. But his shot was pushed away by David Raya, confirming a 4-2 penalty victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal fans were exhilarated and made the Emirates erupt once again, celebrating their team’s victory and progression to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. It was a night to remember for Arsenal fans, who had waited 14 long years for this moment.
Mikel Arteta, couldn’t hide his joy and pride in his team’s performance after the game. “We had to dig in, but I’m so proud and happy. We created a wonderful energy in the stadium, and we did it,” he said.
Bukayo Saka believes that this win has given them belief that they can get a result against the league leaders. “We are top of the league and into the quarterfinal of the Champions League. That gives us a lot of belief that we can go to Manchester City and get a result.” He said.