Martin Ødegaard believes Arsenal’s dramatic shootout win over Porto could be the springboard for a sustained tilt at Champions League and Premier League honours over the ultimate levels of the season.
Arsenal squeaked through at the Emirates after a deliciously tense, attritional two legs that completed 1-1 on mixture. They’re within the final eight of Europe’s elite competitors for the primary time in 14 years and, given they lead England’s high flight after eight straight wins, a return to their days of touchdown main trophies appears to be like tantalisingly shut.
The influential Ødegaard shrugged off the frustration of seeing a possible winner dominated out in regular time to emphatically convert Arsenal’s first penalty. Requested whether or not such a watershed victory can be a coming of age for a aspect who stay inexperienced on this stage, he urged them to grab the chance it presents and harness their momentum.
“I believe we have now to make use of this, we have now to develop off this,” he stated. “It’s a large night time for everybody. We’re nonetheless a younger squad, however this was one other large expertise for everybody. We now have to maintain constructing on that and use it in a great way going into the tip of the season.
“I believe it’s a large enhance for everybody. The way in which we did it additionally, it possibly wasn’t the most effective recreation however you simply noticed everybody pushing so onerous, digging so deep, and I believe you noticed the mentality within the staff after we stepped up for the penalties. I’m actually happy with everybody.”
Porto introduced a tricky and niggly take a look at, though they arguably matched Arsenal’s attacking menace on Tuesday night time. The problem is more likely to turn into but extra formidable in a quarter-final draw, to be held on Friday, that features Actual Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester Metropolis, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. Ødegaard maintains, although, that Arsenal should not fear about any hierarchy of potential opponents.
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“We will’t suppose like that,” he stated. “It’s the largest match on this planet and it doesn’t matter what staff we get, it’s going to be a superb staff. We are going to simply take what we get and we are going to attempt to win. We wish to be on the largest stage. We wish to play the largest video games and combat for the largest trophies.”
