Mikel Arteta: "We have to manage much better"
Arsenal’s manager is interviewed by TNT Sports and asked what he said to his players after the game. “Obviously that we have to manage much better,” he says. “When you cannot win, the way we handled the ball on three occasions in deep areas is not good enough. It is half-time and if you want to get to the quarter-finals you have to beat your opponentsa and that is what we have to do at the Emirates now.”
On what his team was lacking: “Threat,” he says. “We lacked much more threat, more aggression and more purpose when we had the ball in behind. We can do better. They are a team that are very well organised defenisvely and they can break your rhythm. There were 35 or 37 fouls in the game. There are things that we can do much better.”
Match report: FC Porto 1-0 Arsenal
Champions League: Having been knocked out at this stage of the competition in five successive seasons as an Arsenal player, Mikel Arteta is now in danger of emulating the feat as the club’s manager. David Hytner reports from Estadio De Dragao …
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Arsenal: While Arsenal will be hugely confident of turning this tie around at the Emirates, their inability to get a single shot on target despite dominating possession and having so many set-pieces will be a source of concern. Hats off to Porto, who have just kept their sixth consecutive clean sheet at the Dragao.
Elsewhere in the Champions League: It’s finished 1-1 between Napoli and Barcelona, with Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen getting the goals in the first leg of the tie between the champions of Italy and Spain.
Full time: FC Porto 1-0 Arsenal
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep! Arsenal go home a goal down after Galeno’s late, late sucker-punch for the home side. You can point y9our Big Finger O’Blame at Gabriel, who gave away possession with a sloppy crossfield pass to open the door for Galeno. The Brazilian winger went on to win the first leg with a terrific right-footed strike which more than made up for his double-miss in the first half.
90+5 min: Porto’s players and fans celebrated like they’d just won the final after that goal, with substitutes and coaching staff burying Galeno under a pile of bodies after his wonderful finish into the top corner. The final whistle is blown and Arsenal have been beaten at the Dragao.
GOAL! Porto 1-0 Arsenal (Galeno 90+4)
Crikey!!! Wenderson Galeno nicks the first leg for Porto at the death with a fine curled finish into the top corner from distance after Arsenal had coughed up very cheap possession in midfield.
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90+3 min: Ivan Jaime sends a cross from the left into the Arsenal box but it’s far too close to Raya, who gathers unopposed.
90+3 min: Declan Rice sends the ball into the Porto penalty area, where it’s met by Gabriel. The Brazilian can’t keep his header down.
90+2 min: Arsenal free-kick, wide on the right.
89 min: Porto free-kick, in line with the right side of the Arsenal penalty area. Porto substitution: Wendell is finally put out of his very obvious misery and replaced by Stephen Eustáquio. Nothing comes of the free-kick and we’ll have four minutes of added time.
88 min: Wendell has been in the wars and keeps signalling to the bench that he isn’t fit to continue. He’s left out on the pitch to suffer.
87 min: Wendell goes down in the centre-circle under a perfectly fair challenge from Declan Rice, who has been on a yellow card since the second minute. He’s been good tonight and hasn’t let the early booking adversely affect his performance.
84 min: Porto double-substitution: Goncalo Borges and Toni Martinez are next off the rank for the hosts, replacing Conceicao and Evanilson.
83 min: A deflected Conceicao cross is gathered well by Raya, who tries to set up a quick counter-attack. His options are limited.
80 min: Saka’s delivery across the edge of the six-yard box is helped on its way out towards the far touchline by Costa’s raised hand. Porto substitution: Ivan Jaime on for Nico Gonzalez.
78 min: Bukayo Saka drifts in from the right and plays the ball to Odegaard, who gives it back to him. Saka is forced backwards but Arsenal eventually win their eighth corner of the game.
74 min: There are more shenanigans in the penalty area as Saka sends the ball in from the corner. Somebody or other treads on Diogo Costa’s foot, the Porto goalkeeper goes to ground and the ref orders a retake. On this occasion, an unimpeded Costa gathers the ball comfortably. In Italy, Naples equalise against Barcelona.
73 min: Arsenal win another corner, the ball going out off Wendell as Ben White tried to get a cross in. Arsenal substitution: Jorginho on for Leandro Trossard.
72 min: Arsenal corner. Declan Rice curls the ball towards the middle of the six-yard box, where Diogo Costa palms it out towards the touchline.
70 min: It remains scoreless with 20 minutes to go and Porto have definitely looked the more likely of the two teams to score in this second half, albeit without forcing David Raya to do anything so vulgar as make a save. It’s been a quiet night for both goalkeepers.
68 min: Young Pepe takes on and beats Havertz to drive into the Arsenal box and pull the ball back to a teammate. Declan Rice does superbly to anticipate the move and put the block in.
64 min: Kai Havertz has been booked for a totally accidental elbow on Alen Varela. That seems unfair.
63 min: There’s a break in play as Conceicao gets treatment for an injury.
62 min: Porto are starting to look a little dangerous but their midfielder Nico Gonzales is booked for grabbing the hips of Kai Havertz in a bid to prevent the Arsenal man from getting away from him.
60 min: Meanwhile in Italy, Robert Lewandowski has put Barcelona a goal up in their Champions League match against Napoli. In the Premier League, Luton have paid for their early impertinence and are losing 4-1 in the knockings of their game against Liverpool at Anfield.
59 min: Jakub Kiwior is booked for bringing down Conceicao as the Porto midfielder tried to scurry past him into the Arsenal penalty area from the right hand side. A free-kick for Porto in an excellent position is subsequently wasted by Wendell, who completely overhits his delivery to the far post.
57 min: Leandro Trossard volleys high and wide at the far post after the ball comes his way from a corner.
55 min: Arsenal win a free-kick after Pepe (the other one) eschews a shooting chance, electing instead to try and tee up Francisco Conceicao with a backheel that goes straight to a red shirt.
53 min: Martinelli picks up a long pass from Raya, then jinks this way and that before whipping a cross into the Porto penalty area. Pepe heads the ball up in the air, getting enough on it to avert any danger.
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52 min: Francisco Conceicao is booked for yanking Martinelli’s shirt as the Arsenal winger threatened to give him the slikp and canter up the left.
50 min: Trossard tries to play the ball up the left flank into the path of Martinelli but his pass is cut out by Joao Mario, who’s having a good game as Porto’s right-back.
48 min: Porto centre-back Otavio plays the ball back to Diogo Costa, who gets it launched up the pitch. It bounces all the way back to his opposite number David Raya.
46 min: Rice plays the ball wide to Martinelli, who is immediately closed down by Joao Mario and Francisco Conciecao. The ball goes out for a throw-in. Arsenal are getting precious little space in the middle of the pitch and are being kept quiet out on the flanks too.
Second half: FC Porto 0-0 Arsenal
46 min: Play resumes with Arsenal on the ball and no changes in personnel on either side. Mikel Arteta’s side had 68% possession and five corners in the first half but failed to conjure up a shot on target.
Half-time: FC Porto 0-0 Arsenal
Peep! Peep! It’s half-time at the Dragao, where the deadlock remains unbroken. Arsenal have dominated without ever really threatening to score, while Porto have had the standout chance of the game and should really be ahead.
45 min: Odegaard wins Arsenal another corner with half-time fast approaching. Havertz meets the inswinger and heads it wide. As the ball came in, Ben White was wrestled to the ground and was lying in the Porto goal.
43 min: This delivery goes deep to the far post, where Havertz uses Alen Varela for leverage while leaping to try and get his head to the ball. It hits his shoulder area and goes wide. There’s a lot of far post carnage each time Arsenal take a corner but the referee doesn’t seem too fussed about putting a stop to it.
42 min: Arsenal win a corner and Saka’s delivery is headed over for another by Joao Mario.
40 min: Rice plays the ball wide to Martinelli just inside the Porto half but he’s robbed of possession. A neat backheel from Pepe the Younger into the path of Evanilson and the striker fires through the legs of Declan Rice. In the Arsenal goal, David Raya makes his first save of the game and it’s fairly routine.
37 min: Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez tries a shot from distance but sends his effort high over the bar.
34 min: A good ball forward from Kiwior to Martinelli results in Bukayo Saka winning a corner for Arsenal, after his cross from the right takes a deflection off a defender, drops on to the cross-bar and goes out of play.
There’s all sorts of pulling and dragging in the penalty area as the ball comes in and Saka’s delivery from the corner flag is glanced wide off the head of William Saliba at the far post.
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32 min: Arsenal continue to dominate possession, clearly content to play patiently and not go too gung-ho.
29 min: It’s been an absorbing opening half-hour but not a particularly entertaining one. Both managers will be happy enough with the performances of their players so far.
27 min: Arsenal corner. Ben White tries to get up close and personal with Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa but Alen Varela is having none of it and won’t allow his teammate to be bullied. He gets between the pair, allowing Costa to come off his line and pluck Bukayo Saka’s inswinger from the air.
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25 min: Arsenal have dominated but the only chance of the game thus far has fallen to Porto, who should definitely be ahead. Galeno had his head in his hands after missing with those two attempts in very quick succession and quite a few Porto fans were on their feet celebrating prematurely, only to see his first effort hit one post and his second flash wide of the other one.
Porto miss a sitter!
22 min: A cross into the Arsenal box breaks to Wenderson Galeno, who smashes a shot off the left upright. The ball ricohets back to him and with the entire goal gaping, he somehow contrives to fire it wide of the right upright. He was forced to react very quickly but it’s a quite astonishing miss.
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21 min: Other Pepe darts upfield from box to box with the ball at his feet but is dispossessed by Odegaard.
19 min: Francisco Conceicao, Porto’s No10 and the manager’s son, picks out Joao Mario with a pass into the right side of Arsenal’s penalty area. Jakub Kiwior is on hand to prevent him squaring the ball.
18 min: White tries to ping another crossfield pass towards Martinelli but this time the ball sails into the stand.
16 min: Pepe fouls Martin Odegaard, leaving a foot in on the Arsenal skipper’s instep about 3o yards from the Porto goal, in line with the left edge of the penalty area. Four Arsenal players line up in offside positions behind Porto’s high defensive line, Declan Rice curls the ball in as they rush back onside and Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa punches the ball clear.
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14 min: Nico Gonzalez intercepts a cushioned pass off the head of Ben White and plays the ball forward to Alen Verala, who is immediately dispossessed by Declan Rice.
11 min: Galeno wins and takes a throw-in deep in Arsenal territory, Delap-ing a long one into the Arsenal penalty area. The ball is cleared. His early hamstring issue seems to have cleared up as the winger stretched every sinew chucking that ball as far as he could.
10 min: Arsenal have had 85% of the possession in the opening 10 minutes, most of it inside their own half or the middle third of the pitch.
9 min: Arsenal win a free-kick in the centre-circle. William Saliba carelessly gives it away but immediately wins it back again.
7 min: Arsenal continue to hog the ball without creating anything in the way of a chance.
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5 min: Arsenal are dominating possession in these early stages. A cross-field pass from Ben White towards Gabriel Martinelli out by the left touchline is contested and won by Porto’s right-back Joao Mario.
4 min: Even before that late tackle by Rice, Galeno seemed to be feeling a hamstring. His participation in this game could end very shortly.
3 min: That didn’t stop him complaining, mind.
2 min: Declan Rice gets a very early booking for a needless lunge on Wenderson Galeno out by the touchline. He can have no complaints.
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FC Porto v Arsenal is go ...
1 min: Evanilson gets the ball rolling for two-times European champions Porto, with he and his teammates in blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and white socks. Arsenal wear their familiar kit of red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts and red socks.
Not long now: Referee Serdar Gozubuyuk and his team of match officials lead both sets of players out on to the pitch at the Stadio de Dragao, with Pepe and Martin Odegaard holding the pennants ahead of the pre-match coin-toss. Cue the Champions League anthem …
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Champions League: Meanwhile in Naples, managerless Italian champions Napoli are hosting Barcelona in tonight’s other Round of 16 first leg. Scott Murray is keeping an eye on that one …
Premier League: Well, well, well. Republic of Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene has headed Luton Town town into a surprise early lead against Liverpool at Anfield. Bryan Armen Graham has the latest …
Sergio Conceicao: “These are meetings of the highest level and, at this stage, even more so,” said Porto’s manager in his pre-match media address. “Let’s go into more detail in the preparation, because there is so much quality and situation to cancel that we want to explore. Preparation is no different. Maybe, since there is a lot of material and content, the video session is a little longer. Training on the field is the same.
“I think everyone knows this team. It has great quality and a coach who has been at the club for five years and who has acquired individual values of enormous quality. When combining this with their collective organisation, Arsenal are capable, competent and strong. We cannot forget that it is in the top three in market value. This indicates their power. Now, we are facing a team with a European pedigree.
“We look at a team with technical capacity and talent, which can be resolved at a given moment. It is one of those with the highest percentage of ball possession in the English League, it knows how to speed up the game like no one else through very wide and deep wings, which create imbalances one on one, it has midfielders with great ability to infiltrate [the opponent’s defensive organisation] and is very present in the last third, being also strong in tactical schemes.”
Mikel Arteta: “I’m really impressed with Porto,” said Arsenal’s manager. “I know the manager really well and the history that they have. They have a lot of experience in the competition, they have many qualities in many phases of play, that’s why they are always competitive in the European competitions.
“It’s a really tough opponent that we are going to face tomorrow, but at the same time we are very excited. It’s been seven years that we haven’t been here and we are all full of energy and excitement to play the game we want to tomorrow.
“It’s great we have earned the right to be here. It’s been seven years since we’ve been at this table for this kind of match and 14 years since we’ve been able to go to the next stage. That’s the challenge, that’s what is ahead of us and we are really excited to face it, and to go for it with full belief, that’s for sure.”
Those teams: Brazilian left-back Wendell comes into the Porto side in place of the injured Zaidu Sanusi, in the home side’s only change to the team that started against Estrela at the weekend. Arsenal field the same 11 players who started their demolition of Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday evening.
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Tonight's match officials
Referee: Serdar Gozubuyuk
Assistant referees: Erwin Zeinstra and Johan Balder
Fourth official: Joey Kooij
VAR: Dennis Higler
Assistant VAR: Pol van Boekel
FC Porto v Arsenal line-ups
FC Porto: Costa, Joao Mario, Kleper Pepe, Otavio, Wendell, Varela, Gonzalez, Francisco Conceicao, Eduardo Pepe, Galeno, Evanilson.
Subs: Stephen Eustaquio, Grujic, Claudio Ramos, Sanchez, Jaime, Loader, Andre Franco, Baro, Martinez, Borges, Ze Pedro, Fabio Cardoso.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Cedric, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Hein, Nwaneri, Lannin-Sweet, Heaven.
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2024
Unchanged from Saturday's win at Burnley ✅
Let's leave it all out there, Gunners 💪 pic.twitter.com/DadsKfYD6e
⚽𝕆 ℕ𝕆𝕊𝕊𝕆 𝟙𝟙 𝕀ℕ𝕀ℂ𝕀𝔸𝕃⚽#FCPAFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/yjjDhR5JkR
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) February 21, 2024
Early team news
Porto lost their Nigerian left-back Zaidu Sanusi to a season-ending knee injury last weekend and he joins Ivan Marcano, who is also likely to miss the rest of the campaign, among Porto’s long-term lame and halt. Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi has also been ruled out of tonight’s game. Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio is a doubt for tonight’s game, having sat out Porto’s weekend win over Estrela.
Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all missed Arsenal’s trip to Burnley at the weekend and weren’t on board the plane to Portugal. Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey remain sidelined, but former Porto player Fabio Vieira has travelled with Arsenal’s squad despite having been out with a groin injury since November. The 23-year-old made 76 appearances for Porto before moving to Arsenal, chipping in with 10 goals.
Round of 16: Porto v Arsenal
The only remaining Portuguese side remaining in this season’s Champions League, Porto welcome Arsenal to the Estadio do Dragao for tonight’s first leg. It’s the visitors’ first appearance in the Champions League knockout stages in eight years and sitting in third place in the Premier League, they occupy the same position held by their hosts in the Liga Portugal.
Sergio Conceicao’s side are unbeaten in 10 matches at home and have gone five matches at the Dragao without conceding a goal. Their defensive mettle is likely to be tested by an Arsenal side that has won five games on the bounce, scoring 21 goals in the process. Kick-off in Porto as at 8pm (GMT) but we’ll have plenty of team news and build-up in the meantime.
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