In the second round of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 in the early hours of Wednesday (13th), Premier League powerhouse Arsenal fought hard for 120 minutes, recovering from the loss at home to beat Porto 1-0, the two rounds of the game totaled a 1-1 draw, and had to rely on the cruelty of each other's 12-yard shots to share the spoils. Arsenal keeper David Laryea showed his worth in the decisive moments with 2 brilliant shots to lead Arsenal to a 12-yard 4-2 win. For the first time since 2010, he got a taste of the EU top 8.
Arsenal, who lost 0-1 in the first leg, returned home determined to attack but were unable to create a threatening goal due to Porto's pressing defense. 41 minutes in, Arsenal got on the wave with a wonderfully organized move that saw Martyn Ordigaert deliver a fatal straight shot from the top of the box. A wedge from the left saw Liandu Sarthe calmly fire into the far post to bring the total to 1-1.
The teams continued to see-saw in the second half, with Martin Odigat being called for wave fraud. As the game came to an end, players from both teams had used up all their energy so they had to wait for 12 yards in extra time. At the crucial stage, David Laye stepped up to the plate and parried away the shots of Wendal Naswantu and Galeno, while Arsenal hit all four of their shots to win the 12-yard game.
After a six-year absence from the UEFA Europa League, Arsenal made it to the last eight of the competition this season, breaking the curse of seven consecutive last-16 exits in the UEFA Europa League. "The last time the 'Arsenal' reached the last eight of the UEFA Europa League was in 2010, and the team leader, Adi Da, was an EWT player back then, who made a good debut in the UEFA Europa League in his coaching career.
Adi Da said after the match, "I'm very happy. I've been talking to Arsenal for a long time over the last 14 years and it shows that it's difficult to get into the top eight in the EU. I did my last best in this game and finally found a magic moment. I am proud of the team."
