David Raya finally ends Arsenal hoodoo to keep their Champions League dream alive

It has been so long that Arsenal had almost forgotten what it feels like.

But European nights do not get much better after a dramatic and nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out took Arsenal into the Champions League quarter finals for the first time since 2010. There can be no better fairytale than David Raya being crowned the hero as the Arsenal keeper made two sensational spot kick saves.

What an incredible story for Raya who was hardly a popular choice when Mikel Arteta brought him in to replace Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No1 this season. But this was the night when Arsenal fans took him to their hearts as he saved dramatically and sent the home fans into ecstasy.

Incredibly, it was the first shoot-out in the Champions League since the 2016 final and this was a reminder that you just cannot beat it for high drama. Arsenal just about deserved it over the course of two legs but they were pushed all of the way by seasoned European campaigners Porto.

Porto veteran defender Pepe, 41 - yes, 41 - was brilliant as he held the visiting defence together and Arsenal could barely build up a head of steam.

Leandro Trossard scored before half time to level the tie on aggregate and you thought an avalanche would follow. But Porto were far too smart for that as they slowed the game down, turned it into a war of attrition and we never saw the free-scoring Arsenal which has torn up the Premier League.

Martin Odegaard put in a brilliant captain’s performance for Arsenal as he was man of the match and supplied the assist for Trossard to score. The Arsenal captain swapped passes with Trossard and then Odegaard switched the ball onto his favoured left foot when anything can happen.

Odegaard then looked up, picked his pass to perfection and slipped in