Arsenal hold their nerve to quieten the doubters

Raya Saves day as Gunners progress after yet another nail-biting European occasion

- Dan Kilpatrick

AS PENALTIES loomed and the home fans vented their frustration at referee Clement Turpin and the Porto players, it was easy to fear for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side had been the likelier winners over 210 minutes of tension, but now the tie would be decided by a test of nerve and skill from 12 yards.

Streetwise, steely and led by the irrepressible Pepe — a three-time European champion — and fiery head coach Sergio Conceicao, Porto had wanted this outcome. Arsenal had hoped to avoid it.

For all their quality and the ferocious backing of the crowd, did Arsenal have the cojones to win on penalties at the end of a gruelling two-legged tie?

Yes, they did, and a 4-2 win in the shootout following a 1-1 draw on aggregate was a landmark result for Arteta’s young side, as the club reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.

Martin Odegaard, the hosts’ outstanding player, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all scored their penalties emphatically, and David Raya was the hero, saving twice in his biggest moments in an Arsenal shirt.

There have long been doubts over the mental fortitude of Arteta's team and, had they gone out, Arsenal would not have been the first developing English side to find it harder to progress in the Champions League than domestically.