How the Emirates crowd made penalties ‘very difficult’ for Porto in Arsenal victory

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Arsenal needed penalties to defeat Porto in the Champions League to reach the quarter-finals, but they held their nerve as they secured a hard-fought victory.

Porto gave Mikel Arteta’s side a tough test as their stubborn defence would not allow Arsenal in, and after 120 minutes of football the Gunners could not find the crucial second goal at the Emirates.

This meant that a rare penalty shootout was needed in North London. This was the first shootout in the Champions League since the 2016 final, and the club’s first in the competition since 2009.

David Raya stepped up as the hero, saving two penalties, whilst his teammates all converted from the spot to send the Emirates Stadium into raptures. It was a night which will live long in the memory of those in attendance, and the crowd played a huge part in the penalty shootout victory.

Arsenal fans played a huge role in penalty shootout victory over Porto

Speaking after the game, former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson highlighted the extraordinary noise made by the crowd at the Emirates during the shootout, and claimed that this played a vital role in the victory.

“I will say the crowd played a part in that penalty shootout as well. They were making life very difficult behind that goal weren’t they,” he stated.

“The amount of movement and noise whenever there was a Porto penalty, I thought the call for the support to turn up and win it together, I think that certainly played out in the penalty shootout.”

Arsenal’s triumphant night in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium

In the days leading up to the game, Arteta issued a rallying cry to the fans to get behind the team as much as possible, and they did exactly that.

The shootout took place in front of the North Bank at the Emirates, on the other side of the Stadium to the away fans, and this could have been crucial.

In the build-up to every Porto penalty, the fans behind the goal were waving scarves and booing loudly, in almost unseen scenes at Arsenal. It almost felt like a European stadium, with the fans creating an intimidating wall of noise.

The cheers leading into every Arsenal penalty helped, and when Martin Odegaard scored his to start the shootout, he waved his arms with vigour which really helped set the crowd off.

The Arsenal fans played a potentially match-winning role in this regard, and Arteta will now hope for a similar atmosphere in the upcoming quarter final tie.