The Gunners' inexperience proved costly at Estadio Do Dragao as Mikel Arteta was given a lesson in the continental dark arts
Arsenal have never had much luck in the Champions League. The closest they came to winning the trophy was back in 2006, when they suffered a heartbreaking final defeat to Barcelona, and they haven't reached the quarter-finals in 14 years.
The Gunners have actually lost all of their last six ties in the last 16, and Mikel Arteta is now facing an uphill battle to break that cycle. Porto beat Arsenal 1-0 in their first-leg clash on Wednesday, courtesy of a stunning 94th-minute strike from Brazilian winger Galeno.
“We don’t have the experience, that’s the reality – 95 percent of these players haven’t played this competition, they haven’t played the last 16," Arteta said before the game.
In fact, Kai Havertz was the only member of Arsenal's starting XI at Estadio Do Dragao to have featured in a Champions League knockout game. Arteta's exciting young side topped their group in impressive fashion, but the way they meekly surrendered in Porto suggests they're not ready to truly compete with the best.
It was same naivety Arsenal showed towards the end of last season, as they won just three of their final nine Premier League games to essentially gift Manchester City the Premier League title, having led the table for a record 248 days. Nothing has really changed since then, and another trophy-less season will be inevitable unless Arteta's men quickly develop some street smarts.
GettyOutbattled & outsmarted
Arsenal lacked their usual fluidity against Porto, who expertly broke up the game while cutting off the supply line to Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka up top. The Gunners were outnumbered in midfield, and the ugly nature of the contest was reflected by the final foul count of 36 – the most recorded in a Champions League game this term.
Twenty-two of those were given away by the visitors, as Porto successfully limited the Gunners' huge threat from set-pieces by dropping to the floor when feeling any sort of contact. "Every time we touched somebody, it seemed to be a foul before we even kicked the ball," Arteta said.
The Spaniard added on Porto's tactics, after seeing his side fail to muster a single shot on target: "We are very used to playing against these defensive blocks. Especially in the first half, we lacked certain things. We will learn from it and be better in the return game. The best thing about our team was the attitude. We wanted to play. We didn’t lack aggression. Faced with such a low block and a team with no intention of playing, this is what we have to do."
Arteta can groan all he wants, but the reality is Porto were the smarter team on the night, and a touch unfortunate not to win by a wider margin. In the 21st minute, Galeno smacked a volley against the post and then skewed a rebound effort agonisingly wide from five yards out, with the stadium announcer initially blaring out celebratory music thinking the ball had gone in.
Arsenal may have bossed possession, but the hosts kept their most creative players at bay, with Martin Odegaard cutting the most frustrated figure after being forced to drop deep. Sergio Conceicao's side, led by notorious former Real Madrid enforcer Pepe, were always in control, and gave the Gunners a lesson in how to grind out wins in the latter stages of Europe's top competition.
AdvertisementGettyArsenal need more 'saviness'
For all their failings in Porto, Arsenal were still only seconds away from earning a 0-0 draw, which would have put them in full control of the tie heading into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta's team just needed to keep hold of the ball, which they are usually so good at, but they gave it away cheaply three times before Galeno eventually struck the decisive blow.
Declan Rice initially won the ball back after a mishit David Raya clearance, only for Stephen Eustaquio to steal it from him. Porto's attack then appeared to break down when Galeno surrendered possession, but Martinelli inexplicably attempted a 30-yard cross-field pass to Saka, which was intercepted with ease by Otavio.
The centre-back quickly fed Galeno again, and the 26-year-old was given the time and space to set himself before curling a brilliant effort into the far right corner of the net. “I am very disappointed the way we gave the game away at the end, not managing that situation well enough,” Arteta fumed after the full-time whistle. “You get punished in the Champions League. If you cannot win it, you don’t lose it.”
It was strange to see Rice backing off when Galeno started to cut in on his right foot, but Arsenal's record-signing admitted he was wary of being sent-off, having been booked in the second minute of the game.
“It was a real kick in the teeth because that can change your mindset a little bit,” he said. Rice went on to echo Arteta's sentiments, admitting the Gunners will have to show a "bit more savviness" in the most important games.
Arsenal's season will be in real danger of unravelling if they fail to do so in their next Premier League outing against Newcastle.
Getty'Does Mikel trust the players?'
Arsenal went into their first-leg encounter with Porto having scored 21 goals across their previous five Premier League games. The Gunners picked up maximum points to put themselves right back in the mix for the title, and seemed to have rediscovered their swagger, but a lack of quality options in the final third came back to bite Arteta again in Europe.
The 41-year-old opted to start with Trossard in a false nine role, and resisted the temptation to bring on Eddie Nketiah when Arsenal were struggling to make a breakthrough, with Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson also left on the bench. To win the biggest competitions, it is necessary to change up personnel and systems at times, especially when an attacking spark is so clearly missing.
The only change Arteta made was to bring on Jorginho for Trossard in the 74th minute, at which point he shifted Havertz into the false nine role. That decision must have strung Nketiah in particular, given the fact he's managed more goal contributions than Havertz in the Premier League this season, despite starting seven fewer games.
Saka and Martinelli looked visibly fatigued late on, too, but they're unlikely to get a rest anytime soon because Arteta clearly doesn't have faith in those waiting in the wings, as former Arsenal star Theo Walcott observed in midweek.
"I remember being in this certain position before and being subbed as a forward player," Walcott said on . "Martinelli, for instance, could be tired, he’s worked a lot, he’s worked really hard, tracking his full-back quite a lot tonight. Of course, yes, lazy pass, loses the ball [for Porto’s goal], but then I’ve just got to question this squad depth of Arsenal at the start of the game – does Mikel trust the players?"
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No.9 woes
The question is: why didn't Arteta go all out to sign a new striker last summer? Rice was always going to be Arsenal's number one target, and he's so far managing to justify his £105m ($133m) fee, but their decision to splash another £65m (£82m) on Havertz is as baffling now as it was then.
Havertz hasn't really got to grips with a new role on the left of Arsenal's midfield three, and certainly isn't the like-for-like replacement for Granit Xhaka that Arteta suggested he could be. Leading the line doesn't suit Havertz either, as he's largely endured the same difficulties in front of goal he did throughout his time at Chelsea.
The Gunners should be boosted by the return of Gabriel Jesus for the return leg against Porto, but he has been equally enigmatic since his 2022 switch to the Emirates from Manchester City. Jesus can never stay fit for a significant run of matches, and rarely delivers the goods when he is available, as reflected by his measly 9.76 percent shot conversion rate in the Premier League this term.
Saka has been Arsenal's main source of goals, and although he is a superb player in his own right, the 22-year-old is once again shouldering too much responsibility. Walcott was left in no doubt over his old club's biggest weakness, as he added: "I've said this numerous times recently, I think the argument about Arsenal's lack of prolific goalscorer will rear its ugly head again."