Feb 22, 2024 at 7:22 AM Update: 3 days ago
Coach Mikel Arteta must fear another elimination in the eighth finals of the Champions League with Arsenal. The Spaniard realizes that in three weeks things have to be much better than in the first meeting with FC Porto (1-0 defeat).
In London there has been talk for days about the ‘last 16 hoodoo‘ from Arsenal and that will not diminish after Wednesday’s defeat in Porto, Arteta realizes. “You can never win like that,” the coach of ‘The Gunners’ responded after the 1-0 defeat.
Arsenal looked uninspired in Porto and lost due to a late strike from Wenderson Galeno. Arsenal shot zero times on target in ninety minutes. “We have to do a lot better. We were not threatening and not aggressive,” said Arteta. “Especially when we had the ball in the opponent’s half.”
The defeat threatens another elimination in the eighth finals. As a player, Arteta saw Arsenal repeatedly reach the last sixteen of the Champions League. That happened for a total of seven seasons in a row, of which the Spaniard experienced five.
This was followed by six years without participation in the Champions League, but Arsenal is back under the leadership of Arteta this season. Despite the defeat, the Spaniard has not forgotten his first quarter-final spot since 2010. “We now have one thing to do: win at home.”
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Summary: Arsenal loses to FC Porto (1-0) due to a late beautiful goal
FC Porto coach: ‘We were constantly more dangerous’
FC Porto coach Sérgio Conceição was logically in a happier mood than Arteta. The trainer saw his plan, including a role for son Francisco (rented from Ajax), work extremely well. “Everything we had prepared was on the field.”
“The players can be very proud,” Conceição continued. “It was a good match, a real Champions League match. Yes, Arsenal had more of the ball. But we were consistently more dangerous.”
The return match between Arsenal and FC Porto at the Emirates Stadium is on March 12. FC Porto failed in the quarter-finals last season against the later finalist Internazionale.
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