LONDON (AP) – Arsenal's 14-year wait to reach the Champions League quarter-finals is over thanks largely to David Raya's penalty save.
In the penalty shootout at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, Raya hit Porto's Wendell's spot-kick off the post and palmed Galeno's other strike to seal a 4-2 victory.
Arsenal had lost their previous seven games at this stage, but won 1-0, taking the aggregate score to 1-1.
And it was a big moment for Raya, who replaced Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal's number one last summer – a decision that has been frequently questioned by the club's supporters this season.
Arsenal took a 1-0 lead in the first leg in Portugal with Galeno scoring the winning goal just before stoppage time, but Leandro Trossard's goal in the 41st minute leveled the scores. Porto's disciplined defensive tactics largely kept Arsenal at bay, with neither team able to score another point despite extra time.
Arsenal suffered seven straight defeats in the round of 16 under manager Arsene Wenger from 2011, the last time the London club played in the competition, to 2017. Porto last reached the quarter-finals in 2021, but have not progressed beyond that stage since 2004, when they won the title under Jose Mourinho.
Having snatched victory in the home game with a last-minute long-range shot, Porto did their best to protect that advantage with a combination of solid defense and various time-wasting techniques.
However, the hosts had several chances in the first half. After giving the ball to Arsenal in the 16th minute, striker Evanilsson fired a shot from outside the area, but Raya made a good save in the center of the area in the 22nd minute. .
Arsenal's continued pressure finally paid off as Trossard curled a low shot inside the far post after Martin Odegaard teed it up inside the area.
Arsenal's second goal was canceled out in the second half when Odegaard put the ball into an empty net, but shortly before Kai Havertz was adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Gabriel Jesus, who came on in the 83rd minute, fired a shot that almost went between Costa's legs but deflected into the corner.
Moments later, Odegaard had a great chance after Bukayo Saka darted out to pull out a save from Costa and the rebound fell to the Norwegian midfielder's feet, but his shot went wide.
Porto substitute Mehdi Taremi had the first chance of extra time in the 101st minute when he ran into the box, but his shot went wide. Saka was then teed up in the box by substitute Eddie Nketiah in the 110th minute, but his shot was blocked at the last minute.
Arsenal had Odegaard, Havertz, Saka and Declan Rice score in the shootout, setting the stage for a crucial save from Raya, who dived to his left to deny Galeno.
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