The ‘seriously impressive’ thing that gives Arsenal big edge in Champions League v Porto

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Journalist and former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke believes the Gunners’ away form should inspire confidence ahead of their trip to Porto.

Arsenal will contest the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 knockout tie away from home against Porto on Wednesday evening.

Mikel Arteta will know that his side cannot afford to take the Portuguese outfit lightly. Arteta has already warned his Arsenal squad about the threat that Porto pose. However, that does not change the fact that the north London club will be considered heavy favourites heading into this encounter. 

Arsenal are also coming into this tie in remarkable form. The Gunners have won their last five Premier League matches on the spin, scoring 21 times in that period and conceding just twice. Their last two top flight outings have both been away from home, too. Arsenal recorded a club-record 6-0 victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium. Then, last time out, they put Burnley to the sword, winning 5-0 at Turf Moor.

If they can carry this kind of form into their Champions League campaign, then Arsenal stand an excellent chance of getting this tie all but won in the first leg. 

Arsenal away record bodes well for Champions League trip to Porto

Adrian Clarke certainly feels that the Gunners should be confident that they can pull off a win away from home on Wednesday. Speaking on the Handbrake Off podcast, the former winger said, “I think we should go through, over the two legs. It’s about fast starts with Arsenal at the moment, isn’t it? I was looking into this, we have scored, away from home this season, in all competitions, we’ve scored first in 14 of 18 matches. That’s seriously impressive. That’s not at home, that’s away games.”

Playing away from home in European competition is always a tough challenge. Arsenal will likely also find that Porto will look to make a fast start themselves, spurred on by their supporters in what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere. If the Gunners are not able to make a fast start, and establish control on the match quickly, then they must be prepared to weather a bit of a storm.

That being said, Porto will also recognise the danger that Arsenal present, and are unlikely to be too gung-ho in their own approach. Certainly, they will be worried about how to contain Bukayo Saka, and how they can cope with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, amongst others.