{"id":1342368,"date":"2024-02-21T22:22:49","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T22:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1342368"},"modified":"2024-02-21T22:28:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T22:28:07","slug":"arsenal-porto-toothless-champions-league-last-16","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/arsenal-porto-toothless-champions-league-last-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Toothless Arsenal suffer “sickening” defeat as Champions League last 16 woes continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arsenal’s love-hate relationship with the Champions League last 16 continued as they were beaten 1-0 by Porto in the first leg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot has been made about Arsenal qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League this season. It was the first time the Gunners would be playing knockout football in the Champions League since the 2016\/17 season, ending a seven-year wait.<\/p>\n

More importantly for Arsenal, they hadn’t made the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2009\/10. After knocking out Porto at this stage in 2010, Arsenal fell at the last 16 in seven consecutive seasons. Three of those exits came at the hands of Bayern Munich, two to Barcelona, and one each against AC Milan and Monaco.<\/p>\n

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    But the problem is a bit deeper than that. And it’s a problem that continues in 2024. <\/p>\n

    What hampers Arsenal is the fact that they give themselves work to do in the second legs of their last 16 ties. The Gunners have now lost the first leg of their last 16 ties in each of the past seven seasons they have reached this stage.<\/p>\n

    The run started in 2011\/12, when Arsenal were beaten 4-0 by AC Milan. It was a year of comebacks in the Champions League, but Arsenal could only win the second leg 3-0 and they bowed out. A year later, Bayern Munich won the first leg and although Arsenal took the second, it was the German side who advanced on away goals.<\/p>\n

    Bayern Munich beat Arsenal again in the first leg in 2013\/14, while Arsenal could only draw the second, sending the Gunners out. There was another away goal exit in 2014\/15, this time to Monaco, who won the first leg. Then, in 2015\/16 and 2016\/17, Arsenal were knocked out by Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively — though on those occasions they did lose home and away.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Pepe's game by numbers vs. Arsenal:<\/p>\n

    51 touches
    5\/7 duels won
    4 passes into the final \u2153
    2 clearances
    1 interception
    0 goals conceded<\/p>\n

    You come at the king… #UCL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TABSBxQQlY<\/a><\/p>\n

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