Arsenal 1-0 Porto (4-2 pens.): Gunners' Player Ratings as David Raya's heroics take them through | UEFA Champions League 2023-24
Arsenal defeated FC Porto 4-2 on penalties in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash. The game ended 1-0 after extra-time, meaning the teams were tied 1-1 on aggregate, leading to a shoot-out.
The Gunners entered this game on the back of a stunning run of form. With just one defeat in their last eight games, they were well-placed to go through. Their only defeat in that run cam in the first leg as they conceded a last-gasp goal.
Mikel Arteta fielded the same lineup that he did in his team's 2-1 win against Brentford in the Premier League last time out.
Both Arsenal and Porto made good starts to the game and shared the ball nearly equally in the first period. The hosts did well to keep possession in the visitors' half and attempted seven shots, compared to Porto's five. However, the Gunners had the biggest chance of the first half and grabbed it with both hands.
Martin Odegaard did brilliantly well to get to the edge of the box, before playing the ball to Leandro Trossard. The Belgian applied a delightful finish from an acute angle to beat Diogo Costa in goal to make it 1-0 after 41 minutes. Arsenal leveled the game on aggregate just before the break and led at half-time.
Arsenal looked to dominate possession and took the initiative to create chances early in the second period. Porto looked solid as well and played in a more compact shape as the tie was level. The Gunners attempted five shots, with two of those on target. However, their best spell came after Gabriel Jesus came on.
The Brazilian nearly scored with his first touch of the game but Diogo Costa got down in time to get enough on the ball to send it wide. Martin Odegaard had another chance to score but could not get the ideal connection while striking the ball and dragged his shot wide. With nothing to separate the team, the game headed into extra-time.
Both Arsenal and Porto made good starts to the first period of extra-time and played some attacking football. However, after a couple of failed attacks, both sides started playing cautious football.
Neither team created a notable chance in both periods of extra-time as the game went into penalties. All four of Arsenal's takers scored with composed shots, while goalkeeper David Raya took center stage as he made two saves as the Gunners won the shoot-out 4-2.
That said, let's take a look at their player ratings.
Arsenal Player Ratings
David Raya - 9/10
Raya had a good game in goal as he made three good saves in regulation time and played nine long balls. The Spaniard made two saves in the penalty shoot-out to secure Arsenal's progress. However, he remarkably said he could have made another save during his post-match interview.
Benjamin White - 7.5/10
White had a great game as he covered nearly the entirety of the right flank. He played a reserved game initially but made attacking runs later in the game. White made four interceptions and won three duels.
William Saliba - 7/10
Saliba made an unusually slow start to the game and was booked in the first half. However, he made some good clearances as the Gunners held a high-line. He won seven duels and played four long balls.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 7/10
Gabriel had a good game in defence as he won four duels, making three clearances and two tackles as well. He also played four long balls.
Jakub Kiwior - 6.5/10
Kiwior had a good game and kept things tight on the left side.
Jorginho - 6.5/10
Jorginho had a good game in midfield as he passed the ball with 86% accuracy, including four long balls. He also won eight duels but looked jaded in the second half and probably stayed on longer than he should have.
Declan Rice - 7.5/10
Rice passed the ball with 84% accuracy, including six lovely long balls to switch the play to the opposite flank. He also won five duels and scored Arsenal's fourth penalty.
Martin Odegaard - 8.5/10
The captain led from the front with his silky footwork and intricate passes and added energy to the team's play. He provided a lovely assist for Trossard's goal in the 41st minute. Odegaard also won five duels and scored the Gunners' first penalty.
Bukayo Saka - 8/10
Saka had a good game as he won 10 duels, played two key passes and attempted four shots, with two on target. He scored Arsenal's third penalty in the shoot-out.
Kai Havertz - 8/10
Havertz used his physicality to his advantage and won an impressive 15 duels, of which 10 were aerial duels. However, he showed signs of frustration late in the game and was booked for shoving an opponent. He scored his team's second penalty.
Leandro Trossard - 7.5/10
Trossard had a good game as he passed the ball with 80% accuracy, including four key passes and three crosses. He also won three duels and scored the only goal of the game with a lovely finish through Pepe's legs.
Substitutes
Gabriel Jesus - 6.5/10
Jesus came on in the 83rd minute and saw a difficult chance come his way for his first touch. He was unable to swivel enough to direct the ball to the opposite corner as the goalkeeper made a save.
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 6.5/10
Zinchenko showed signs of rustiness after coming on and gave away a sloppy corner in a crucial moment. However, he made a few good tackles to recover possesssion.
Edward Nketiah - 6.5/10
Nketiah came on late in the game and did not make much of an impact.