Heading into stoppage time, it looked like Arsenal were going to head back to London with a goalless draw and destiny in their own hands for the return leg.
But that’s when Gabriel Martinelli proceeded to play a cross-field pass to Bukayo Saka, which was intercepted, Galeno then drove forward with the ball and curled his effort into the back of the net.
Not only was Thierry Henry unimpressed with Gabriel Martinelli’s pass, but he also thinks goalkeeper David Raya ‘jumped early’, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (21/02/24 at 9:55 pm).
The effort from Galeno didn’t hit the back of the net with real speed or venom, if anything, it allowed Arsenal’s shot-stopper more than enough time to react.
But not only did it look like he jumped early, but he seemed further off his line than he should have been and that didn’t help his cause.
In the end, it proved to be a bitter first-leg defeat for Mikel Arteta and his players, with Thierry Henry not surprised because he saw this coming.
Should David Raya have saved Porto’s goal?
“You lose that ball, one minute to go, this is where away from home in Europe, you have to be a bit more clear on what you do,” said Henry. “That’s a cheap lost ball on the counter-attack.
“I am not a goalkeeper, but he is missing the one step to be able to control his feet. He jumped too early. We were only good at set-pieces. It’s one thing to play West Ham, it’s one thing to play Burnley and then it’s one thing to play away in the Champions League. If you want to play in the Champions League, you have to create more chances. We didn’t create enough and, as it happened, those guys were better than us on the day. We still have a return leg, but I told you last week it was going to be difficult away at Porto, and it was!
“Look at this, it could have been a 3 v 2 (if Martinelli’s pass came off). You miss a pass, and the next thing you know you backpedal. If you backpedal against people that can curve, then you are in trouble. If it’s a better pass, then they are in trouble.”
The return leg at the Emirates
Arsenal should be grateful that away goals no longer exist because they are still in this game, even if Porto score at the Emirates.
Ideally, you don’t want that to happen because the crowd will just get on the players’ back, but this is where Arsenal prove themselves.
The issue facing the team against Porto was their lack of threat from open play, they just couldn’t get going and it was like they were stuck in mud throughout.
Arteta will be clear to his players that they need to find that attacking bite to their game again, and if they do, then they should still see past Porto.
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