Match report
I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from a big night at the Emirates. Thanks for joining me, it’s been fun. Goodnight.
Updated
And here’s Bukayo Saka: “I’m buzzing, just happy we’re going to the quarter-finals. To win on penalties was amazing for the spirit. These are the games we’ve worked hard for, for years. Tonight was beautiful.” Martin Keown asks him about the City game, drawing a wry smile from Saka and Rio Ferdinand.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum and a lot of belief that we can go there and win. Who does he want to play next? “I don’t want to say anything rash!” What has Arteta said? “A lot of shouting and joy … he’s buzzing! We put in good work and it’s paid off.”
Updated
Here’s Mikel Arteta, who can’t keep the smile off his face. “It’s been 14 years – a long time for a club like Arsenal. We had to dig in today, and find the magic moment. In the stadium, we were all pushing to get it done, and we did it. This is where we want to be, and we worked so hard.”
“It was really difficult, Porto are a really competitive team. You don’t get time to control the game, but we scored a goal in a really important moment. We didn’t have many chances, but we managed to do it! The energy the fans brought helped us the whole way. They made us win.”
Updated
This really does feel like a big moment for this Arsenal side – winning 1-0 and getting by on penalties might not seem impressive on paper. But there were so many moments when they could have lost their heads; instead, they kept their composure, particularly in the shootout. I’m not expecting this team to go on and lift the trophy, but they’ve cleared a big psychological hurdle tonight.
“Phew! No prizes for guessing what the hot topic of conversation will be at the next Trossard-Turpin family reunion!” writes Peter Oh.
“Perhaps xG is an imperfect statistic, but a cumulative figure of 1.5 across 120 minutes of football tells me the game itself was pretty dire,” writes Robert Speed. You’re right, xG is an imperfect statistic.
Updated
Arsenal’s next game is 19 days away – at Manchester City when the Premier League returns. It’s hard to overstate how much better they’ll feel during the international break after getting through tonight.
Here’s the Arsenal hero, David Raya: “It’s a great feeling, especially for me personally. First time in the Champions League for me, first time for the club to get the quarter-finals in many years. We’ve been working on penalties a lot, for nights like this. All the hard work has paid off. It’s a great moment personally and collectively … although I should have saved three!”
Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to reach Champions League quarter-finals
It’s Galeno up next – and Raya saves again!! Arsenal are through after an epic, nerve-shredding battle. And they deserve it after showing such composure in the shootout. They’re into the last eight for the first time since 2010!
Updated
Rice scores! Arsenal 4-2 Porto Declan Rice up next, and he drills his penalty down the middle, beyond Costa’s dive. Arsenal are on the verge …
Grujic scores! Arsenal 3-2 Porto Raya gets a hand to it again – but this time, Grujic’s shot has too much power and loops into the corner!
Saka scores! Arsenal 3-1 Porto It’s Bukayo Saka up next – and he buries his effort inside Costa’s right-hand post! Porto are in must-score territory …
Wendell misses his penalty! Arsenal 2-1 Porto
Wendell is up next – but David Raya gets his fingertips to the ball, and turns it on to the post. Advantage Arsenal!
Updated
Havertz scores! Arsenal 2-1 Porto Kai Havertz is the coolest man in the stadium, stuttering in his run-up and rolling the ball in the corner when Costa moves.
Pepê scores! Arsenal 1-1 Porto The Other Pepe with a carbon-copy of Odegaard’s effort, except he sends his shot to Raya’s right with the keeper going left.
Odegaard scores! Arsenal 1-0 Porto Odegaard shimmies in his run-up, and then strokes the ball into the corner as Costa goes the other way.
Updated
Odegaard hugs his former Real Madrid teammate, Pepe, before the coin toss. The Arsenal captain gets the choice of end, and also opts for his side to take their spot-kicks first.
Full time: Arsenal 1-1 Porto (on agg, aet) – penalty shootout
The first penalty shootout in the Champions League since the 2016 final is coming right up.
Updated
119 mins: But hold on – there’s still time for one more Arsenal free kick. Arteta tells his players to wait, but when it’s eventually played short, the whistle blows. We’re going to penalties!
118 mins: Arsenal have to build from the back, Nketiah dropping deep to find Havertz, who is then beaten to the ball by Pepe, 41 years young. Time running out here – and Ally McCoist wonders aloud whether Arteta might throw Aaron Ramsdale on for penalties.
116 mins: Havertz is booked for bundling over The Other Pepê as he looked to break away downfield. There can’t be many complaints about that one.
115 mins: More worrying is the sight of Odegaard going down without any contact. That allows Borges a hopeful shot at goal, which is deflected into Raya’s arms. Odegaard appears to be OK to continue, at least.
113 mins: Zinchenko pings the ball into Nketiah’s feet, but the striker slips on the edge of the area. Moments later, Jesus looks to have cleanly prised the ball from Borges – but the referee awards a free-kick. Such exquisite frustration for the home fans.
112 mins: Havertz and Jesus try to play a one-two, but Pepe disrupts it and celebrates like he’s just scored. Porto are still pressing with such intensity as we approach the two-hour mark.
110 mins: It almost arrives here, a quick passing move sparked by Odegaard, with Nketiah finding Saka – but the unmovable Otavio is in the right place again to charge the shot down.
108 mins: Arsenal just haven’t been able to get their attacking momentum back in extra time, with Porto currently looking the more likely on the break. It only takes one moment of magic, though, and Arsenal are certainly capable.
107 mins: Borges’ languid cross deflects off Zinchenko, and the Porto man is able to win the corner, in front of the noisy away end. Nervous moments for Arsenal … but Raya is there to cleanly claim the ball.
Updated
106 mins: Zinchenko is on for Kiwior at left-back, while Nketiah replaces the goalscorer, Trossard. Declan Rice is still out there after being stretched like pizza dough by the Arsenal physios during that quick break.
Second half of extra time
Just a reminder, in the unlikely event you needed one, that it’s 1-1 on aggregate – and unless someone scores in the next 15 minutes, it’ll be penalties.
Half time in extra time
Arteta is about to bring on Eddie Nketiah and Oleksandr Zinchenko – but that’ll have to wait, as an extremely edgy first half of extra time comes to a close.
104 mins: The ball sails out of play and in trying to collect it, Havertz runs into the Porto manager – then gives him a little shove for good measure! The Porto players are quick to protest, but Turpin lets Havertz off with a warning.
102 mins: Galeno, who has rather faded as an attacking threat, fails to chase down a long ball down the left, to cheers from the Arsenal fans.
101 mins: Francisco Conceicao and Nico Gonzalez are the men going off, having both worked tirelessly in the Porto engine room. Stephen Eustaquio, a Canadian international, comes on along with Gonçalo Borges.
100 mins: You can hear the collective intake of breath as Kiwior is caught on the ball, allowing Taremi to advance down the left. He cuts inside, but shoots high and wide of goal from a tight angle.
98 mins (ET): Conceicao prepares to make two more changes, as Nico Gonzalez gets back to help Wendell out in dealing with Saka down the right.
Updated
97 mins (ET): Bukayo Saka is taking this one – but Pepe is there to head clear. Arsenal come again, but the grizzled centre-back is on hand again to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick with Jesus lurking behind him.
Updated
96 mins (ET): Porto now have every player back in their own half – but they can’t prevent Odegaard winning a corner with a velvety touch from Rice’s throw in.
Updated
94 mins (ET): Now Otavio is whistled for a less conspicuous challenge on Saka on that right-hand side. Odegaard lifts the ball in, but it’s cleared away from the onrushing Saka as Porto hold firm again.
Updated
92 mins (ET): Turpin has certainly “let the game flow”, to use the old adage. Arsenal might feel Porto, and Wendell in particular, should have been pulled up for a couple of tussles with Saka down the right flank.
Updated
Extra time begins
91 mins (ET): Arsenal immediately get on the front foot and Gabriel Jesus rolls the ball back from the byline – but there are too many blue and white shirts present to let Saka get anywhere near it.
Barcelona are in the big Perspex bowl for the quarter-finals, having seen off Napoli 4-2 on aggregate. They join PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in booking their last-eight place.
Full time: Arsenal 1-0 Porto (1-1 on aggregate)
Time is up, and we’ll have another 30 minutes – and possibly penalties – to settle what has been a fascinating tie. How are your nerves, Arsenal fans?
97 mins: Taremi runs onto a long ball, and despite looking offside, he plays the cross in, from which Porto appeal lustily for a handball. And then the flag goes up for the original offside. Honestly, what’s the point?
96 mins: “I don’t mind another 30,” says Ally McCoist on TNT, speaking for absolutely nobody dressed in red inside the Emirates.
94 mins: There’s a break in play as Alan Varela, who was very good across both legs, is stretchered off having gone down with what looked like cramp. His replacement will be the former Liverpool man Marko Grujic.
93 mins: Wendell somehow goes unpunished for manhandling Saka, who throws his hands up in frustration before playing on. The ball is worked to Odegaard, who turns towards goal, taking 2 or 3 defenders with him, and goes over. A big shout from the home fans, but replays show there isn’t much in it, and Porto survive.
92 mins: The hosts ping the ball around midfield as the home fans launch the most nervous cry of “come on Arsenal” I’ve ever heard …
91 mins: Arsenal are usually such a threat from set pieces, but Porto have stifled them so far tonight, and they deal with Odegaard’s delivery at the near post. The ball ends up back with the Norwegian, who aims for Gabriel at the far post, but overhits his cross.
90 mins: Three added minutes. Is there time for a late twist before extra time? Odegaard slips a ball into the path of Saka, whose cut-back is cleared behind …
88 mins: Evanilson is going off, and I imagine the Arsenal centre-backs won’t miss him. That said, the dangerous Mehdi Taremi is replacing the Brazilian up front. At right-back, Jorge Sánchez replaces Joao Mario, who has put in quite the shift.
Updated
86 mins: Costa claims it after an Arsenal player (Havertz, I think) tumbles over in the area. The keeper launches it downfield, where the dangerous Pepê threatens to get clear of Declan Rice. The Arsenal man is losing the foot race, but gets a telescopic leg to flick the ball out for a throw-in.
85 mins: Arsenal get a corner, and they’re pushing to win this tie inside the 90 minutes …
84 mins: Another Arsenal chance, as Saka goes for goal and Costa parries the ball back out into danger, where Odegaard’s rushed shot goes wide!
83 mins: Ooooof! A big chance for Arsenal, and it falls to Gabriel Jesus! The substitute latches on to Saka’s pass and shoots from a tight angle – but Costa saves with his legs! On another day, that could just as easily have ricocheted into the net.
Updated
82 mins: In fact, it’s Jorginho going off for Gabriel Jesus – which I guess will mean Odegaard and Havertz dropping back slightly. It’s a bold move for Arteta, regardless.
80 mins: No substitutions at all from either manager yet – although Gabriel Jesus is getting ready to come on. I think Arsenal could use reinforcements in midfield, where Jorginho is starting to look weary.
78 mins: Porto are starting to find space in behind, with Joao Mario getting forward from right-back – but he’s just unable to keep the ball in play down at the byline. Conceicao Sr joins Arteta in the book for hopping about and hollering over that non-free-kick a moment ago.
76 mins: Pepe finds space down the right and plays a short ball to the feet of Evanilson, who is wrestled off the ball by Saliba. The referee isn’t interested – perhaps swayed by the Porto man’s previous antics – and replays suggest the Arsenal defender got a bit lucky there.
74 mins: Gabriel needs treatment after going down in midfield. There’s a quiet tension building in the stands, as the unappealing prospect of extra time grows ever more likely.
72 mins: From the free kick, Saliba gets above Otavio but sends his header wide of the far post.
70 mins: Turpin booked Arteta for his protests after the goal – and now adds Pepe to the naughty list for clattering Havertz.
69 mins: Nerves are jangling now as Porto break with three attackers running at goal. Conceicao goes for goal and his low, powerful drive is well saved by Raya, with Kiwior getting to the rebound first before the flag goes up.
Pepe tried to nod the ball back to Costa, under pressure from Havertz, but then got in a horrible muddle with his keeper, allowing the Arsenal forward to prod the ball backwards, where Odegaard lifted a lovely finish over the tangle of bodies in front of him. Sadly for Arsenal, the referee adjudged Havertz to have fouled Pepe to get to the ball first, and VAR backs him up.
66 mins: Odegaard has the ball in the net – but the goal is disallowed for a foul on Pepe! It’s the right decision – Havertz had pulled the Porto man’s shirt – but in the interests of football comedy alone, I wish it had counted.
Updated
“Seeing Aaron Ramsdale grab a ball that had gone out of play and throw it to a teammate just then was a bit poignant,” writes Kári Tulinius. “This is most likely the extent of his involvement in the Champions League knockout stage for Arsenal, but his performances last year are a big reason the Gunners are even here. Ah well, no place for sentiment in football and all that.”
Just wait until he saves three penalties in the shootout at Wembley on 1 June.
63 mins: Conceicao takes the free kick, unwisely decides to go for the top corner, and sends his shot looping into the away fans behind Raya’s goal.
62 mins: Galeno pops up on the right and flicks the ball past Kiwior before going down. It’s a Porto free kick, and in a dangerous spot, just to the right of the area. I’m not sure how much contact there actually was, on first look.
61 mins: Jorginho is brought down by Evanilson, and asks the referee why the forward hasn’t yet gone in the book after a number of hefty challenges.
60 mins: It feels like Arsenal are getting to grips with this game, having kept Porto pegged back for the last five minutes – but Saka is flagged offside to allow them a breather.
59 mins: There was a brief VAR check for a high Porto boot after that last corner, but no further action was taken.
58 mins: Rice takes it again and swings it towards Costa, who again looks a little uncertain but does enough to punch the ball clear.
56 mins: Arsenal corner, angled in towards the near post by Rice and headed away by Otavio. After the ball is worked over to the right flank via Saka, Rice sees his snap-shot blocked by Pepe. Another corner …
55 mins: It’s been a ragged start to the second half, with Porto’s approach looking a little less expansive than before Trossard broke the deadlock.
54 mins: Jorginho is brought down by Evanilson in midfield, but Turpin waves play on, much to the home fans’ chagrin. Conceição then clatters into Trossard, and is penalised.
52 mins: Otavio makes a well-timed interception to stall an Arsenal move that was slowly building momentum.
50 mins: Kiwior shepherds the ball out for a goal kick under pressure from Conceiçao Jr, and is warmly applauded. He’s put in another solid performance so far at left-back.
48 mins: Evanilson goes for an acrobatic shot on goal but sends his effort into the stands, to the delight of Arsenal fans. He is then booed for staying down, and booed again when he jogs back on the field moments after walking off.
46 mins: The bendy-limbed Wendell gets forward and gets a cross in beyond Ben White, but Rice is able to head it emphatically clear.
“Why does Ben White insist on cutting about a football park as if he’s wearing a pair of stockings?” asks Stephen McCrossan. I don’t know, I quite like the Victorian stepchild aesthetic he’s got going on.
Second half
We’re back under way, Porto strolling out a good couple of minutes after Arsenal took to the field. You can’t time-waste in the tunnel, lads.
More family ties, from Peter Oh. “Francisco Conceição, scampering about for Porto, looks a lot like his gaffer Sergio Conceição – because he’s his son!” This is all getting a bit confusing – I’ve already got two Pepes to deal with.
“A family reunion at the half-time whistle as the Trossard brothers are reunited,” writes Andreas Kropp.
Barcelona are 2-1 up on the night, and 3-2 ahead on aggregate, against Napoli. You can follow that one with Will Unwin:
Half time: Arsenal 1-0 Porto (aggregate: 1-1)
The half ends in a hail of boos, but they’re aimed at the referee for bringing an early halt. Arsenal have been put to the test in this first half, but will be feeling much better about things after Leandro Trossard’s 41st-minute goal got them level in the tie.
46 mins: Havertz is caught by Varela’s stray boot in his, er, midriff. Arsenal free-kick … but Turpin blows the whistle while the ball is in the air.
45 mins: Pepê goes down again, this time after a collision with his teammate, Nico Gonzalez, after Pepe (the defender) had flicked on a cross. There’s then a heated contretemps between Rice and Otavio, heads pressed together briefly before Varela intervenes.
44 mins: There’s a break in play after Pepê (the attacking player) is brought down by Gabriel. Home fans enjoy a rendition of “1-0 to the Arsenal,” for that is the score.
Arsenal needed a moment of magic and Ødegaard delivered it, collecting Trossard’s sideways pass and slicing the Porto defence apart with the return ball. Trossard, played onside by Pepe, still has to take a touch and pick his spot – and he does so in style, rolling the ball into the far corner!
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Porto (Trossard 40')
Just as the frustration was starting to build, Leandro Trossard strikes – set up by a quite brilliant assist from Martin Ødegaard! Joy (and relief) abounds at the Emirates.
Updated
38 mins: Galeno continues to make a nuisance of himself, turning beyond Saliba on the touchline and forcing the Arsenal defender to hold him up. Saliba is the first name into Monsieur Turpin’s black book.
36 mins: Any hopes among the home fans that Porto would fold meekly here have been thoroughly dismissed; the visitors have come here with a clear strategy and are holding Arsenal at arm’s length so far.
34 mins: Evanilson tries to backheel the ball through to Galeno, but is flagged offside.
32 mins: Wendell, who was struck in the face by Saka’s cross, stays down and is berated by the nearby home fans. Pepe, of all people, asks them to cut his teammate some slack. When the corner finally arrives, it comes to nothing.
30 mins: Gonzalez clips Saka on the ankles, presenting Arsenal with a free kick. Odegaard curls the ball in, and the slightly-unconvincing-so-far Porto keeper, Diogo Costa, flaps at it before Saka’s attempted cross is deflected behind.
29 mins: From which Saka holds his run and plays in Ben White on the overlap. His cross to the far post is perfectly weighted, and Havertz is waiting to nod the ball in – but Pepe gets his trademark shiny dome to the ball, diverting it out for a corner!
28 mins: End-to-end stuff here as Galeno nods the ball across goal, just beyond Evanilson and into Raya’s gloves, allowing Arsenal to break …
27 mins: Arsenal not quite able to carve out a clear-cut chance yet, but they have made some in-roads. Here, Trossard’s near-post cross is awkward for Declan Rice, who tries to head for goal but ends up connecting with his face.
25 mins: “The referee, Clément Turpin, looks like Trossard’s elder brother,” notes Charles Antaki. He really does!
23 mins: Porto aren’t here to sit on their first-leg lead as Evanilson demonstrates with another thudding strike, forcing Raya into action at his near post. Arsenal’s defenders, perhaps not expecting so much early pressure, look a little nervous.
Updated
21 mins: Ally McCoist points out that “the Porto boys” raced out right on time there to catch Gabriel and co offside, making the visiting backline sound like a 90s one-hit wonder.
No goals here yet, but we’ve had two already in tonight’s other tie:
19 mins: Odegaard whips the ball in from deep and for a second, it looks like Arsenal have undone the Porto offside trap – but Gabriel is flagged offside, and skews his volley over the bar anyway.
18 mins: Arsenal get a free kick after Evanilson sends Jorginho crashing to the floor. The burly Brazilian is perhaps fortunate not to get booked for that.
16 mins: A warning shot across the bows from Porto striker Evanilson, who fires just wide of the far post from Saliba’s tentative headed clearance.
15 mins: Trossard swings in a dangerous cross and Saka gets his head to it, but mistimes his effort. Wendell, caught on his heels a couple of times already, got across well there to put him under pressure.
Updated
13 mins: Saka plays it short, gets it back and cuts the ball inside to Odegaard, whose low shot ripples the side netting.
12 mins: Another moment of counter-pressing lets Saka in, and he bursts beyond Gonzalez and Wendell with a shimmying run. Keeper Diogo Costa is so mesmerised, he spills Saka’s tame shot, and Porto have to scramble it away at the expense of a corner.
10 mins: Because Ødegaard catches Wendell dallying on the ball and breaks free down the right. His cross is half-cleared towards Trossard, who thinks about launching an acrobatic effort but instead plays it back to Kiwior, whose cross-shot from a tight angle is blocked.
9 mins: 62% possession for Porto in the early stages. A bit of a rope-a-dope ploy from Arteta? Maybe …
7 mins: From 40 yards out, Porto try to work the ball into the area rather than lump a cross in, but Arsenal are able to intercept. The visitors have been more adventurous in the early stages than many observers expected.
6 mins: Arteta is already chatting away to assistant Albert Stuivenberg on the touchline, as Havertz is penalised for a handball as he tried to get under a high ball.
5 mins: Porto send some bodies, including Pepe, into the box for a long throw, but Arsenal get the ball clear.
3 mins: Arsenal play through the press and Saka spins away upfield, before he is hauled down by Wendell. Surprisingly, the referee waves play on, and Ben White gets up at the far post to head a cross just over the bar!
1 min: The air is thick with flare smoke from the away end – fans travelling here from Portugal (and possibly up the Victoria Line from Stockwell) in big numbers. Porto get an early free kick, to the sound of boos from the home fans.
Updated
Kick off
Porto are unbeaten in five; Arsenal’s only loss in their last nine games was in the first leg. These two teams are running hot. Let’s do this!
“This must be an emotional night for Arsenal substitute Fábio Vieira, born and bred in the Porto area, a product of their youth academy who played for their senior side before making the move to London a couple of years ago,” notes Peter Oh. And on the opposite bench, there’s … er … former West Ham striker Toni Martínez!
Updated
Laura Woods, Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown are in their car coats at the back of the tunnel, whispering away. The players get the nod, and out they trot to a mighty roar.
Some contrasting pre-match vibes out there:
“Is progress in the Champions League important for Arteta?” asks Charles Antaki. “Yes, certainly; and failure here would be the devastating side of embarrassing. But not terminal for his tenure in post; he’s protected for a good while yet. And I don’t think you’ll find any but the most purblind and excitable Arsenal supporter wanting it any different.”
Meanwhile, here’s Eagle Brosi: “Last season it was the game against Sporting which knocked Arsenal out of Europe, Saliba got injured and it felt all the wind went out of the title march. It was soul crushing. I’m worried about tonight. I think Arsenal could get caught out early thinking Porto is going to defend. I think it could all happen again.”
Barcelona host Napoli in tonight’s other last-16 tie, and Will Unwin is missing his anniversary to cover it, so you could at least drop in and say hello.
“Has a referee’s nickname ever been so predetermined as Monsieur Turpin’s in North London tonight?” asks Justin Kavanagh. “The ‘robbery’ claims by Arteta will write themselves should Arsenal fail tonight.”
It’s the worst case of nominative determinism since the 1878 FA Cup final.
“The news that Skynet is taking over the Champions League draw is alarming, but this helpful video explains the new system clearly and concisely,” writes Brian McCloskey.
Porto’s team is unchanged from the XI that nicked a 1-0 win in the first leg, with a defence featuring João Mário (not that one) and Pepe (that one). Pepê (a different one) starts alongside the in-form Galeno in a 4-2-3-1 that’s probably going to look more like a 4-5-1 off the ball.
Gabriel Martinelli is not fit to make the bench, with Kai Havertz starting up front in the only change from the first leg. Leandro Trossard is preferred to Gabriel Jesus as Arteta sticks with the outfield players that beat Brentford on Saturday, and David Raya returns between the posts.
“Where do you think this fixture lands in terms of importance in Arteta’s tenure?” asks Gabriel Zoltan-Johan. “Surely it must be in the top three.”
It’s a tough one: there have been plenty of games with higher stakes but it does feel like a huge psychological barrier to overcome. Arsenal haven’t won a Champions League knockout tie since before Arteta played for the club. Also: with a name like that, Gabriel, are you on the books at the academy?
Team news
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Ødegaard (c), Jorginho; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Partey, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Fábio Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus.
Porto (4-2-3-1): Costa; João Mário, Pepe (c), Otávio, Wendell; Varela, Nico González; Francisco Conceição, Eduardo Pepê, Galeno; Evanilson.
Subs: Claudio Ramos, Fábio Cardoso, Eustáquio, Grujic, Taremi, Sánchez, Jaime, Namaso, Romário Baró, Toni Martínez, Gonçalo Borges, Ze Pedro.
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
Mikel Arteta has grabbed his leotard and welding mask, urging his players to take their passion and make it happen in the Champions League tonight.
David Hytner takes a look at the bigger picture for Porto, currently behind the two Lisbon sides in the title race. Amid financial uncertainty and boardroom turmoil, former manager André Villas-Boas is bidding to return as president.
As mentioned below, Porto arrive here with a 1-0 lead after Galeno’s late strike punished an Arsenal side who failed to muster a shot on target.
Intriguing news emerging today: the new Champions League “league phase”, which comes into effect next season, is so complicated that the draw will have to be done by computer. What could possibly go wrong there?!
Preamble
There was a time not so long ago when the Champions League last 16 was indisputably the “round of Arsenal”. From 2010-11 to 2016-17, the Gunners crashed out at this stage on seven consecutive occasions. This is the club’s first season back in Europe’s premier competition since then, and a chance for Mikel Arteta to start rewriting recent history.
This being Arsenal in Europe, doing so was never likely to be smooth sailing; amid a run of ruthless, free-scoring domestic form, Arteta’s side lost the first leg 1-0 in Portugal. They are still big favourites to go through tonight, and can banish a few demons with the kind of comprehensive win that has been their forte of late.
The last time Arsenal reached the quarter-finals in 2010, they did so at the expense of Porto, thrashing them 5-0 at home after losing the first leg. Other omens are not quite so positive – Arteta is yet to win a knockout European tie at the Emirates in five attempts. Tonight, club and manager will either change that narrative, or be left with the familiar feeling of what might have been.
