Arsenal beat Porto on penalties to reach quarter-finals

Leandro Trossard scored his 12th goal of the season for Arsenal to pull them level in the tie on aggregateArsenal reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 after beating Porto in a penalty shootout following a night of tension at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners went into this last-16 second leg 1-0 down but drew level when Leandro Trossard put them ahead on the night four minutes before the interval with a smooth finish following brilliant work by captain Martin Odegaard.

A scrappy, fractious encounter failed to yield a winner even after extra time and it was Arsenal who held their nerve to go through to the last eight.

Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were all on target for Arsenal as David Raya saved from Wendell and Galeno to seal victory for Mikel Arteta’s side amid scenes of wild celebration.

When will the Champions League draw take place?Raya delivers when it matters most for Arsenal’Where we want to be’ – Arsenal end 14-year waitArsenal pass Porto testArsenal only trailed to Galeno’s last-gasp goal from the first game in Portugal, but it quickly became clear they would need to pass a stern test of character, temperament and patience against Sergio Conceicao’s streetwise, experienced team.

Porto, defensively marshalled and organised by the evergreen 41-year-old Pepe, never allowed Arsenal to play with their usual fluency and Trossard’s goal, created after superb footwork and a pass of precision from Odegaard, was a rare moment of weakness from the visitors’ defence.

Arsenal probed but Porto still posed a threat, Raya saving well from Evanilson and Francisco Conceicao.

Odegaard thought he had settled Arsenal’s nerves and put them through without the need for extra time with a second half strike. However, it was ruled out when Havertz was judged to have pulled back Pepe.

The anxiety and anger even reached the technical area, with Porto coach Conceicao an agitated, animated figure throughout, and it threatened to boil over with frustration after their fate was sealed by Raya’s flying save in a chaotic conclusion.

At the end of a nervous night, it was Arsenal who were celebrating with Arteta finally ending his European curse at home, having managed five Europa League ties at Emirates Stadium without winning any.

It also felt like a psychological barrier had been crossed by the Gunners after losing at the last-16 stage in each of their past seven appearances in the Champions League.

And having reached the last eight, Arsenal might just feel they have learned enough from this tough experience to take their journey deeper into the competition.

Gunners set up dream season finaleArsenal have had the ideal few days, breaking that barrier into the last eight of Europe’s elite competition while also taking their place at the top of the Premier League.

Their dramatic win against Brentford and the draw between their two closest challengers Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday means they top the league on goal difference.

It also means Arsenal have that feeling of momentum to carry forward into the final stage of the season, fighting both in domestic and European competition.

Arsenal’s next game is the mammoth clash with Premier League champions Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on 31 March and Arteta now has time to take a breath and regather his forces in a position of real strength.

Player of the match

RayaDavid Raya Martin

with an average of 8.46

Squad number22Player nameRaya

Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

Squad number19Player nameTrossard

Squad number41Player nameRice

Squad number4Player nameWhite

Squad number29Player nameHavertz

Squad number15Player nameKiwior

Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

Squad number20Player nameJorginho

Squad number2Player nameSaliba

Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus

Squad number7Player nameSaka

Squad number14Player nameNketiah

Squad number35Player nameZinchenko

FC PortoSquad number3Player namePepe

Squad number18Player nameWendell

Squad number99Player nameDiogo Costa

Squad number31Player nameOtávio

Squad number11Player namePepê Aquino

Squad number23Player nameJoão Mário

Squad number22Player nameVarela

Squad number16Player nameGonzález

Squad number30Player nameEvanilson

Squad number10Player nameFrancisco Conceição

Squad number9Player nameTaremi

Squad number6Player nameEustáquio

Squad number8Player nameGrujic

Squad number15Player nameSánchez

Squad number13Player nameGaleno

Squad number70Player nameGonçalo Borges

Line-upsArsenalFormation 4-3-3

22Raya4White2SalibaBooked at 39mins6Gabriel15KiwiorSubstituted forZinchenkoat 105’minutes8Ødegaard20JorginhoSubstituted forGabriel Jesusat 83’minutes41Rice7Saka29HavertzBooked at 116mins19TrossardSubstituted forNketiahat 105’minutesSubstitutes1Ramsdale5Partey9Gabriel Jesus10Smith Rowe14Nketiah17Cédric Soares18Tomiyasu21Fábio Vieira24Nelson25Elneny31Hein35ZinchenkoFC PortoFormation 4-2-3-1

99Diogo Costa23Neto LopesSubstituted forSánchezat 86’minutes3PepeBooked at 73mins31Ataíde da Silva18Wendell22VarelaSubstituted forGrujicat 90+7’minutes16GonzálezSubstituted forEustáquioat 101’minutes10Fernandes da ConceiçãoSubstituted forAlbuquerque Borgesat 101’minutes11Aquino Cossa13Rodrigues do Nascimento Galeno30de Lima BarbosaSubstituted forTaremiat 88’minutesSubstitutes2Cardoso6Eustáquio8Grujic9Taremi14Morais Ramos15Sánchez17Jaime19Namaso28Silva Baró29Martínez70Albuquerque Borges97da Silva Figueiredo FreitasReferee:Clément Turpin

Attendance:60,257

Match StatsLive TextMatch ends, Arsenal 1(4), FC Porto 0(2).

Penalty Shootout ends, Arsenal 1(4), FC Porto 0(2).

Penalty saved. Galeno (FC Porto) right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1(4), FC Porto 0(2). Declan Rice (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.

Goal! Arsenal 1(3), FC Porto 0(2). Marko Grujic (FC Porto) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1(3), FC Porto 0(1). Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.

Penalty saved. Wendell (FC Porto) left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1(2), FC Porto 0(1). Kai Havertz (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1(1), FC Porto 0(1). Pepê Aquino (FC Porto) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1(1), FC Porto 0. Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.

Penalty Shootout begins Arsenal 1, FC Porto 0.

Second Half Extra Time ends, Arsenal 1, FC Porto 0.

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Stephen Eustáquio (FC Porto).

Kai Havertz (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Marko Grujic (FC Porto).

Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto).

Kai Havertz (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Kai Havertz (Arsenal).