Martin Ødegaard believes Arsenal’s dramatic shootout win over Porto can be the springboard for a sustained tilt at Champions League and Premier League honours over the final stages of the season.
Arsenal squeaked through at the Emirates after a deliciously tense, attritional two legs that finished 1-1 on aggregate. They are in the last eight of Europe’s elite competition for the first time in 14 years and, given they lead England’s top flight after eight straight wins, a return to their days of landing major trophies looks tantalisingly close.
The influential Ødegaard shrugged off the disappointment of seeing a potential winner ruled out in normal time to emphatically convert Arsenal’s first penalty. Asked whether such a watershed victory would be a coming of age for a side who remain inexperienced on this stage, he urged them to seize the opportunity it presents and harness their momentum.
“I think we have to use this, we have to grow off this,” he said. “It is a massive night for everyone. We are still a young squad, but this was another big experience for everyone. We have to keep building on that and use it in a good way going into the end of the season.
“I think it is a massive boost for everyone. The way we did it also, it maybe wasn’t the best game but you just saw everyone pushing so hard, digging so deep and I think you saw the mentality in the team when we stepped up for the penalties. I am really proud of everyone.”
Porto presented a tough and niggly test, although they arguably matched Arsenal’s attacking threat on Tuesday night. The challenge is likely to become yet more formidable in a quarter-final draw, to be held on Friday, that includes Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. Ødegaard maintains, though, that Arsenal must not worry about any hierarchy of potential opponents.
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“We can’t think like that,” he said. “It’s the biggest tournament in the world and no matter what team we get, it’s going to be a good team. We will just take what we get and we will try to win. We want to be on the biggest stage. We want to play the biggest games and fight for the biggest trophies.”