NEW Arsenal. Same old Champions League anxieties.
This was a chance for the Gunners to banish those last-16 demons of years gone by, to plonk one foot into this competition’s quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.
Instead of finally putting that hoodoo to bed, this North London crop have emphatically breathed new life back into the beast.
A nervy, below-par night from Arsenal at the Estadio do Dragao without a single shot on target ended with the hosts landing a spectacular last-minute sucker punch through Galeno’s long-range beauty.
It seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before looping over David Raya’s outstretched dive and nestling into the bottom corner. Having missed a sitter in the first half, the Brazilian celebrated his redemption wildly.
Next month’s second leg at the Emirates is now do or die for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta in a competition that often throws surprises and early exits their way.
From 2011 to 2017, they lost seven two-legged ties in a row at this stage of Europe’s grandest tournament.
Arteta will be livid. The Spaniard spoke glowingly pre-match of his dreams to win the Champions League at Wembley in June.
On this performance alone, those fantasies need to be parked. Back in 2010, Arsenal lost 2-1 to Porto in the Last 16 before winning 5-0 in North London. A similar result will have Arteta believing again.
Arsenal started slow, hesitant in their approach, their minds seemingly elsewhere.
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Declan Rice picked up a needless yellow in the second minute, forced into a wayward lunge having taken his eye off William Saliba’s pass. Gabriel then lost control moments later.
Maybe it had just dawned on this young squad where they were, the stage they were playing on, and those in red in white in past years who had consistently failed to make that next step.
For so many European campaigns, the familiar faces left them bruised and beaten: Lionel Messi of Barcelona. Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich.
In a desperately poor first half for the visitors, Galeno of Porto should have joined that pantheon of players still giving Arsenal fans nightmares earlier than expected.
You will not see a miss like the Brazilian’s in the 20th minute for the rest of this season, or any season for that matter. It is hard to think of a worse one in recent European history.
Gabriel half-cleared a cross with the ball spinning into the air inside the six-yard box. Saliba froze, allowing Galeno to breeze past him and connect with a fierce half volley.
It smacked Raya’s right post and back into the path of Galeno, the Spanish keeper rooted to his own line, but the rebound was somehow fizzed wide of the opposite post.
The majority of the stadium believed it had nestled into the bottom corner, rather than smacking the advertising boards. The stadium DJ briefly blasted some celebratory music.
Arteta gestured to his players to stay calm, even if inside he was livid with his side’s apparent lack of urgency to break Porto down.
It should have come as no surprise to Arsenal or Arteta that Porto would be defensively efficient, especially at home. In the Primeira Liga, they have not conceded in front of their own fans since December 9.
Faltering from open play, even Arsenal’s trusted set-piece routines – usually orchestrated and executed to perfection – were falling flat, even if Saliba did come close with a header.
Porto were gaining confidence up the other end as Evanilson tested Raya from a tight angle just before the break. Arteta welcomed the half time whistle with open arms.
Arsenal’s efforts to build momentum were being disrupted by their opponents’ desire to win cheap fouls and earn the likes of Kai Havertz and Jakub Kiwior more harsh yellows.
In the 55th minute, a corner routine finally came off but Rice’s skimmed pick-out of Leandro Trossard at the far post was blazed over. Gabriel headed over a free-kick late on.
That was as good as it got for Arsenal, failing to score in a match in all competitions for the first time since January 7, and then came Galeno who took charge and fired in from around 30 yards.
The quarters are still in sight, but Arteta knows more than most that Champions League second legs and Arsenal rarely go well together.
The return leg against Porto is on March 12.
