Mikel Arteta could feel the weight of history, his own as the Arsenal manager in European competition, even going back to his playing days at the club. Never before in five Europa League knockout ties as the manager had he tasted victory in a knockout tie at the Emirates Stadium - and there had been a few sobering reverses.
More broadly, Arsenal had not made it to a Champions League quarter-final since 2010, losing in their previous seven last-16 ties.
Leandro Trossard got the goal before half-time to cancel out Galeno's first-leg winner for Porto. We had waited and waited for that, Arsenal creating nothing clearcut and the second half turned into a slog, the margins so fine.
There were chances in the final stages. Francisco Conceição extended David Raya while the Arsenal substitute Gabriel Jesus was denied at close quarters by Diogo Costa. Then after the Porto goalkeeper had parried a Bukayo Saka shot, Martin Ødegaard might have done better with the rebound. There was an inevitability about the extra 30 minutes.
Arsenal have been practically perfect in the Premier League since their winter break, winning eight out of eight. Which had only made the first-leg defeat in Porto stand out even more. It was certainly a night of frustration; no shots on target, Porto also keeping them out on set pieces by hook or by crook. Arteta knew that lessons needed to be learned.
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