‘I should have’ - Arsenal hero gives emotional reaction to Champions League shoot-out victory

David Raya was bursting with emotion after inspiring Arsenal to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night.

With the scoreline level on aggregate after 210 minutes, the Spaniard was called upon in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Raya had kept the Porto frontline at bay in regulation time - with the Gunners winning the second leg 1-0 - and did the same again from 12 yards.

Wendell and Galeno were denied low to Raya’s left to book Arsenal their spot in the last eight. Many doubted his arrival last summer, with Mikel Arteta facing questions for controversially dropping Aaron Ramsdale.

However, just days after Ramsdale made a calamitous error against Brentford, Raya turned hero in the Champions League to justify Arteta’s call. Speaking post-match, the goalkeeper was overawed with emotion as he celebrated a historic night.

“It’s a great feeling, especially for me personally,” Raya told TNT Sports. “(It is) my first time in the Champions League and the first time in a long time the club has got to the quarter-finals. We’ve been working a lot on penalties this year because, on a night like this, you need to be good and the hard work has paid off. It’s a great night.

“I should have saved three, but I’m over the moon to save two and get through to the quarter-finals. Porto made it so difficult over there and here. But we scored the goal that we needed and it went to penalties.

“Obviously, mentally it’s tough but the team played really, really well, we kept a clean sheet, scored the goal and went to penalties. It means everything, You play football for these kind of nights. Over the moon and I’m going to celebrate and enjoy the night.”