Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has discussed the reaction in the Arsenal dressing room to booking a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Arsenal booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after beating FC Porto on penalties at the Emirates Stadium. A goal from Leandro Trossard on the night ensured that the tie would end as a draw over both legs.
Extra-time followed without either team unlocking the door, requiring penalties to separate them for a place in the next round. The Gunners scored all of their spot kicks, while the visitors had two efforts saved by David Raya.
It means an instant return to the latter stages of the competition, years after their return to it. Mikel Arteta won’t want his side to rest there though, with plenty of big games coming up before the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta reaction
Bukayo Saka reflected on the match with TNT Sports afterwards, explaining the reaction in the dressing room to the victory. “He’s [Arteta] buzzing,” the winger said on the reaction from the manager. “A lot of shouting and joy, but yeah he is so happy for us and like I said, we’re top of the league and into the next round of the Champions League, so everyone’s so happy.”
The victory marks a potentially huge moment in the season for Arsenal, who keep themselves in the key competition as well as the race for the Premier League title. It remains to be seen if they can win either, but they’ll firmly believe they can while they’re still in with a shout.
Champions League quarter-final draw
The Gunners will learn their quarter-final opponents as well as the semi-final draw on Friday, March 15. There are still two teams to be decided, with Internazionale taking on Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund hosting PSV Eindhoven.
In terms of the teams remaining in the competition, there is: Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG. There are no restrictions based on country, meaning a clash with City could be on the cards.
Arsenal fixtures
Coming up next for Arsenal is a slight break, with a rearranged game due to FA Cup action, meaning no game in the coming week. The week after is an international break, with stars jetting off to represent their nations.
The Gunners won’t be back in action until late March, when they face off with champions Manchester City. It’s a huge clash for Arteta and his side in the race for the title, with every moment of rest coming as a potential boost.
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