'Where we want to be' - Arsenal end 14-year wait

David Raya was the star player during the recent Champions League game that went into a penalty shootout, which hadn't happened since the 2016 final.

Nicklas Bendtner completed a hat-trick by scoring a penalty on 9th March 2010, helping Arsenal win against Porto in the Champions League with a score of 5-0. The Gunners were able to secure their spot in the quarter-finals by coming back from a loss in the first leg.

After a span of 14 years and 3 days, Arsenal has made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League once again. This time, their journey involved facing Porto, managing penalties, and mustering a comeback in the second leg.

This time around, the center of attention wasn't a player who successfully scored a penalty, but rather a player who saved a penalty. David Raya stopped Porto's attempts twice, ultimately leading to a 4-2 triumph in a shootout.

After a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in Portugal, Arsenal bounced back and managed to force an extra time against their opponents, thanks to Leandro Trossard's goal. The match was consistently intense, but both teams struggled to produce quality plays.

When Raya moved towards his left to prevent Galeno's penalty, it caused a surge of unrestrained happiness in the Emirates Stadium, which had not been seen for almost fifteen years.

Arsenal's coach Mikel Arteta mentioned to TNT Sports that the club has been experiencing a tough time for the last 14 years, which is quite a substantial period given the club's history.

"We truly had to put in a lot of effort to discover that special moment towards the end. The stadium atmosphere is becoming more electrifying with each game, and we all worked hard together to achieve our goal."

The 2009-10 Champions League journey of Arsenal indicated their downfall as a renowned European team.

After defeating Porto in the previous round, they experienced a comparable outcome against Barcelona in the quarter-finals. They suffered a heavy defeat in the second leg, where Lionel Messi illuminated the score sheet with all four goals.

As Arsenal advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, shortly after climbing to the top position in the Premier League, there is an increasing sense of optimism that the team is regaining their reputation as a strong presence in international competition, with the ability to triumph in difficult matches at the highest level.

'Massive Results, Bigger Fallout'

Former Arsenal player Matthew Upson mentioned on BBC 5 Live that not only is the outcome impressive, but the repercussions are also substantial.

Arsenal can find a lot of positive aspects in both the Premier League and other competitions.

The team likely gleaned a great deal of knowledge and skill from their recent victory in a penalty shootout against the formidable and experienced Porto team.

After the excitement subsides, this was not a glamorous European match that will be remembered forever. There were a total of 74 fouls committed throughout the two games - the highest number in a Champions League knockout match since 2015-16.

However, Arsenal has passed - damaged and wounded, but undoubtedly improved due to the ordeal.

Former Arsenal player Theo Walcott spoke on 5 Live about how participating and winning in a penalty shootout at this level is an unforgettable experience that can benefit the players.

"They are aware of the strategies required to emerge victorious in these crucial moments."

At certain points during the game, Porto caused them to feel annoyed, however, they managed to handle the situation. They are now aware of how to deal with it in the future and will not overreact to it.

Following their victory against Porto back in 2010, Arsenal faced a string of defeats in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for seven seasons straight.

During their last stint at this point in the competition back in 2017, they suffered some very embarrassing defeats, particularly the one against Bayern Munich where they were eliminated with a staggering 10-2 aggregate score.

'Team Makes Me Proud'

Afterwards, Arsenal went six years without participating in Europe's top championship. Nevertheless, the present team is determined to compensate for that loss of time and bring back Arsenal's prestigious standing.

"It's an amazing feeling for me. This is the first time I'm playing in the Champions League, and it's also great for our club to make it to the quarter-finals after such a long time," expressed Raya during his interview with TNT Sports.

This is incredibly important. I compete in football for moments like this, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of Arsenal, competing in the Champions League, and advancing to the quarter-finals. We plan to simply relish this evening.

Even though Arsenal is currently successful, their main challenge is to maintain their position which will commence with their upcoming game.

In less than three weeks, Arsenal will face a Premier League match against Man City after the international break. It's crucial to maintain this positive momentum up until that game.

I am ecstatic. The squad did an outstanding job, and we demonstrated a great deal of determination," expressed Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal winger, to TNT Sports.

At the moment, we are leading the Premier League and have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

This instills a significant amount of confidence in us, acknowledging that we have the possibility of obtaining a favorable outcome at Etihad. This is precisely the type of contest we engage in as footballers.

Arteta faces a brand new challenge as a manager who has to balance a domestic title race as well as a Champions League campaign. He is prepared to take it on.

He stated that this is the desired destination. After being patient and putting in a lot of effort, many individuals have made wise choices and demonstrated bravery during challenging periods. This is the ultimate goal.