Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has expressed his belief that Arsenal is on the brink of matching any team in the Champions League this season. This comes after the Gunners' triumphant victory over Porto, which propelled them into the quarter-final stages.
Arsenal was trailing 1-0 from their first leg in Portugal when Leandro Trossard managed to level the tie just before half-time. Despite their best efforts in the second half, they struggled to find a way through a resolute Porto side. The second leg eventually went to penalties.
David Raya emerged as a hero for Arsenal, saving two spot kicks while Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all successfully converted their penalties. This marked an important milestone for Arsenal as they reached the last eight of this prestigious competition for the first time in 14 years.
Next round will be battle of titans for Arsenal
The Gunners now join elite teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in advancing to next round of matches. Two more teams are set to join them following Wednesday’s final round of last 16 games.
Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United legend, said:
‘I think they are genuinely a hard, hard opposition for anybody left in the competition, I don’t care who it is, Manchester City, over two legs, it is a difficult game for them because Arsenal are a team that can match most teams left in this competition.
‘Whether they beat them, I think they can go close to anyone at the moment.’
Arsenal are in race for both Premier League and Champions League
With Arsenal currently leading at top of Premier League and having broken some European records on Tuesday night's game against Porto; Ferdinand insists that they can challenge for Champions League trophy this season.
Raya received high praise after maintaining his composure during penalty shootouts which played a crucial role in securing victory for his team. After trailing from the first leg against Porto; Leandro Trossard equalized the score before halftime, Rio Ferdinand believes that Arsenal is capable of challenging any Champions League team.
In the penalty shoot-out, David Raya saved two spot kicks, enabling Arsenal to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years. The next round will feature Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
This victory not only marks a significant milestone for Arsenal but also sets the stage for an exciting and competitive Champions League season ahead.
