Arsenal 1 - FC Porto 0 (4-2): survive and advance

It wasn’t pretty, but Arsenal did enough to advance against FC Porto. Martin Ødegaard set up Leandro Trossard in the first half for the critical goal to level the tie. David Raya came up with two massive saves in penalties. And that’s all she wrote. The Gunners are through to the Champions League Quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.

Porto, once again, were well set up, disciplined, and resolute. They made it difficult for Arsenal all night and amplified that frustration by diving and delaying at every opportunity. It’s a shame, really. Their anti-football antics detract from what was an excellent tactical display, exactly the type of play an underdog needs to advance in a knockout tie.

Martin Ødegaard was incredible tonight and dragged the Arsenal attack through the match. His quick feet and incisive passing set up the goal, with a nod to a well-placed finish from Leandro Trossard. Ødegaard also led by example, running himself ragged pressing and tracking back on defense. It was the kind of performance you need from your captain and one of your stars in a big match.

On the other side of the ball, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, and David Raya were tremendous. Those three had such a calming, steadying effect on the game and the team. Gabriel’s passing was a bit off, but he more than made up for it with his physicality and anticipation. Jakub Kiwior has been a revelation since stepping in for Oleksandr Zinchenko with Takehiro Tomiyasu also sidelined. Kiwior was a pillar of strength at the back again.

Kai Havertz deserves a nod as well. He was in the wars in the middle of the pitch, constantly harrying Porto and getting stuck in. He does so much dirty work that goes unnoticed and underappreciated. He thought he’d created the winning goal for Arsenal, pressuring Pepe and Diogo Costa into a collision and mistake, but Martin Ødegaard’s shot into the empty net was called back because the referee decided Havertz had committed a foul. The replay showed Havertz had a bit of Pepe’s shirt, but it was no more a grab than you see in every battle on the pitch. Several similar instances of clutching and grabbing, including Pepe on Ødegaard in the box about 10 minutes later, went unpunished. To make it worse, the grab had very little (or nothing) to do with Pepe and Costa colliding. They didn’t communicate, made a massive mistake, and were bailed out by a generous whistle. Arsenal should have won the match in regular time.

William Saliba looked a bit nervous and played conservatively after a first half yellow card. His composure and quality usually belie his age. Tonight, the bright lights may have been a bit much. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t his usual, dominant self.

Bukayo Saka had an off night, although some of the credit for that goes to Wendell, who defended him quite well. And when Saka did beat Wendell, he was permitted to grab him from behind without sanction. No thanks to the referee, who other than being consistently good in not getting conned by dives, had a pretty poor showing.

In a way, Arsenal advancing despite Saka not being at his best shows the development of this team. There is plenty of talent elsewhere on the roster, especially compared to when Saka broke through and was a lone bright spot. When one guy isn’t going, the guys around him need to step up. That’s exactly what Ødegaard, Havertz, Rice, Gabriel, and Raya did.

David Raya turned up massively in the penalty shootout, saving two attempts to win the match and see Arsenal through. He felt he should have had a third save — he got his fingertips to Marko Grujić’s attempt. Ødegaard, Havertz, Saka, and Rice all scored for Arsenal, who didn’t need their fifth taker.

With all the success (and the expectation that comes with it), you forget this is a young Arsenal team. For most, this was their first Champions League knockout tie. It showed, too. But they found a way to advance and will hopefully be a bit more relaxed when the Quarterfinals roll around next month.

Arsenal have nearly three weeks off to rest and recuperate (minus international duty, but it’s just friendlies), which is good because today’s match surely took it out of ‘em. Next up, Manchester City at the Etihad on March 31st.