Raya celebration
Keeper pulls out the stops to end Arsenal’s long wait for Champions League quarterfinal place
DAVID RAYA pulls out the stops, so Arsenal keep going. They used every drop of energy that Mikel Arteta demanded to squeeze past Porto and make their first Champions League quarterfinal since 2010.
That came from the first Champions League shootout since the 2005-06 final, that Raya was so decisive in. He made one brilliant save from Galeno and a relatively lucky one from Wendell, the second more forceful enough and fittingly sending Arsenal through.
In such situations, there might be questions about the physical and mental cost of such a game, but Arteta’s side now don’t have another game for 19 days.
They also have something uniquely positive to think about, after smashing a real block in this most illustrious of competitions. Not even Arsene Wenger got this far very often. Arteta has done it in his first go.
Such momentum can similarly propel their title challenge, in a run that looks full of life and optimism.
The Gunners went into yesterday’s 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.
Arteta hailed his team’s achievement but warned they still have a “mountain to climb” if they are to win the competition.
“So happy,” said a visibly delighted Arteta, who could barely wipe the smile off his face throughout his post-match media commitments.
“It has been 14 years, which is a long time for a club like Arsenal and it shows how difficult it was.
“We really had to dig in to find the magic moment at the end. We’re starting to create an unbelievable energy in the stadium, we were all pushing to get it done and together we have done it.
“(The last eight) is where we want to be. We’ve been patient, worked so hard and a lot of people have made good decisions and showed courage in difficult moments and this is where you want to be.”
Arteta reserved special praise for Raya, who saved brilliantly from both Wendell and Galeno in the most eyecatching contribution of an Arsenal career that started nervously upon his arrival from Brentford in August.
“David had some difficult moments at the start,” he said. “He has stood up with incredible personality and ambition and in the end he’s been rewarded.”
Asked whether a quarterfinal berth made the prospect of a first Champions League title feel more realistic, Arteta opted to remain coy.
“I think it’s still very far,” he said. “Now I’m going to sit at home, I’m going to look at the other teams we have to play and start another big mountain to climb.”
Emotions had been running high during the contest, with both Arteta and Porto manager Sergio Conceicao booked in separate incidents while they were on the touchline.
The tension then spilled over following the penalty shoot-out and after Raya saved the decisive spot-kick from Porto forward Galeno.
Arteta attempted to shake Conceicao’s hand but the Porto manager reacted and the two men had to be pulled apart. Arteta was left shaking his head as he walked away.
The Gunners’ boss refused to comment on the exchange when asked about the incident towards the end of his post-match press conference, before Conceicao alleged that Arteta used an insulting phrase, in Spanish, about a member of Conceicao’s family.
Speaking in Portuguese, with his quotes translated through an interpreter, Conceicao said: “During the game and towards the bench he, in Spanish, insulted my family.
“And then at the end, I said attention, who he insults is not between us. He should focus on training his team because they have a lot of individual qualities to do that.” – The Independent/Agencies