William Saliba made an eye-catching show of his love for Arsenal after the Gunners’ penalty shootout triumph over Porto on Tuesday evening.
William Saliba threw himself into the wild celebrations as Arsenal earned passage to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years.
The Gunners eventually came out on top over Porto after a marathon round of 16 tie. Having fallen to a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg at the Estadio do Dragao, Mikel Arteta’s men had to overturn the visitors’ slender advantage at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Leandro Trossard was able to find the back of the net in the first half to level up the tie on aggregate. However, the Portuguese outfit put up a stubborn defensive effort, and forced the game to extra-time.
Arteta called on the Arsenal fans in extra-time to crank up the atmosphere during this final push. Despite these efforts from the stands, the north London club were still unable to find a winner, and as such the tie had to be decided by a penalty shootout.
William Saliba produces passionate display in Arsenal celebrations
Arsenal were perfect from the spot, with Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice all converting. However, it was David Raya who proved to be the hero of the hour. The Spanish goalkeeper made two brilliant saves to send Arsenal through to the next round of Europe’s elite club competition.
Raya drew some criticism from Arsenal fans after the first-leg against Porto, when many deemed him to have been at fault for the goal that the Gunners conceded in that match. However, he more than made up for that perceived error last night. The Brentford loanee was of course at the heart of the celebrations, with even Aaron Ramsdale showing his appreciation for Raya’s efforts.
However, Saliba also caught the eye in the post-penalty shootout pandemonium. Footage captured from the stands shows the French centre-back charging towards the Arsenal fans and fiercely pounding the club badge on his chest. It was a clear show of passion and love for the north London club which will only have endeared the centre-back to the fans further.
Attention will now turn to Friday’s Champions League quarter-final draw. Arsenal have been in supreme form in recent weeks and will be full of confidence right now. They will fancy their chances against anyone in this competition.
