"They came to play, We came to win","Pepe masterclass went to waste" - Fans react as Arsenal reach UCL Q/Fs for first time since 2010 after Porto win
Arsenal's David Raya was the hero as his side booked their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after beating FC Porto 4-2 on penalties after a 1-0 win (1-1 aggregate draw).
Mikel Arteta's decision to sign Raya on loan from Brentford last summer has been a hot topic of debate this season. Many felt that Aaron Ramsdale was unjustly displaced as the Gunners' No.1 by the Spaniard.
However, Raya cemented himself as Arsenal's undisputed No.1 tonight with a masterful penalty shootout performance. This came after Arteta's men beat the Primeira Liga giants 1-0 to take the tie to extra time.
That goal came through Leandro Trossard in the 41st minute thanks to superb play from the brilliant Martin Odegaard. The Norweigan playmaker tricked his way past Porto's Portuguese winger Francisco Conceicao before slotting his teammate in with an eye-of-the-needle pass.
Trossard cut inside before bending a low-driven effort beyond Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and into the far bottom corner. The Emirates faithful roared as their side were back on level terms on aggregate.
Odegaard thought he'd put Arsenal ahead in the tie in the 68th minute. The Gunners captain pounced on a loose ball after Kai Havertz caused havoc between Costa and former Real Madrid defender Pepe.
The Norweigan superstar lifted a delightful effort over Costa and into the back of the net. He slid towards the home fans in celebration but his joy was short-lived as VAR intervened.
A VAR check determined that Havertz had a hold of Pepe's shirt in the build-up to Odegaard's fine finish. The goal was ruled out and Arteta was enraged on the touchline, receiving a booking after losing his temper.
The game was frantic from there on out, with both European giants carving out chances. Gabriel Jesus nearly scored seconds after coming off the bench but the Brazilian's 83rd minute effort was just about pushed to safety by Costa.
Odegaard wanted a penalty in the 90+3rd minute when he went down following Pepe's challenge. Turpin ignored the Norway international's appeals and the two sides headed to extra time.
The pace of the game started getting to the players during extra time as they'd played out an enthralling 90 minutes beforehand. Bukayo Saka perhaps went closest in the 111th minute but astute defending from Otavio kept him at bay.
Neither Arsenal nor Porto could find a winner and a penalty shootout would decide matters. It was time for Raya to make history for the Gunners and put any argument about his signing to bed.
Odegaard put the hosts ahead by sending Costa the wrong way with a calm finish. That was followed up by an equally impressive penalty by Porto's Brazilian winger Pepe who got the better of Raya.
Havertz bagged the north Londoners' second spot-kick before Raya's shootout heroics began. The Spain international pulled out a remarkable save to deny Wendell. He pushed the ball onto the post and it deflected back onto him but luckily away from goal.
Bukayo Saka fired the Gunners' third past Costa. Former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic kept things going by dispatching his spot-kick.
Declan Rice had no problem burying the ball past Costa before Raya became an Arsenal hero. He was at full stretch to push Brazilian winger Galeno's attempt away from goal and ensure his side reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
It was the first time the north Londoners have reached the quarterfinals of Europe's elite club competition since 2010. They could be dark horses to make the final at Wembley on June 1.
One fan took a dig at Conceicao's controversial comments about the first leg:
"They came to play, We came to win."
Another fan was disappointed Pepe's monstrous performance came in defeat:
"That Pepe masterclass went to waste."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to a memorable night for Raya and the Gunners:
Pepe made history in Porto's Champions League clash with Arsenal tonight
Veteran Portuguese defender Pepe undeservedly came out on the losing side tonight. He was superb for the visitors, making three clearances, one tackle, and one interception, helping keep Arsenal at bay.
Pepe became the first outfield player in history to make a Champions League appearance aged 41 or over. He's as old as Arteta and debuted in Europe's elite club competition in 2004.
The iconic defender won three Champions League trophies during his time at Madrid. He's made 120 appearances in the European competition but won't be winning it this season.