Martin Odegaard insists Arsenal cannot head into a long-awaited Champions League quarter-final draw fearing any opponent and called for Tuesday’s penalty shoot-out win over Porto to act as the catalyst for a Premier League title tilt.
The Gunners ended a 14-year wait to reach the last eight of Europe’s top-level club competition after David Raya saved two spot-kicks to seal progression following a 1-1 aggregate draw with Porto.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike at the Emirates Stadium drew Arsenal level in the last-16 tie, but the two sides could not be separated until Raya took centre stage, with all four of the hosts’ penalty takers finding the back of the net.
Arsenal had crashed out at the first knockout stage for seven consecutive years under Arsene Wenger and went on to endure a seven-year exile from the Champions League until they finished second in the Premier League last season.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the table at present and Odegaard, who converted the first penalty of the shoot-out, believes Arsenal cannot fear facing the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the next round.
“To be honest, we can’t think like that,” he replied when asked if there was anyone he wanted to avoid in Friday’s draw.
“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.
“That’s where we want to be. We want to be on the biggest stage. We want to play the biggest games and fight for the biggest trophies.
“When I came here I believed in the project, in the club, what they were doing, everything around the club, I believed in it – and now we are here doing well.
“We just have to keep pushing each other and make sure we get a little bit better every day. We will see where it takes us.”
Those improvements could also yet take Arsenal to a first Premier League crown in two decades, having fallen agonisingly short last year.
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After leading the way for 248 days of the campaign, they were pipped at the post by Treble-winning City.
However, a 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday followed by a draw between City and Liverpool means Arsenal will be top heading into the international break.
They travel to the Etihad Stadium on March 31 and Odegaard wants the win over Porto to act as fuel for their title drive.
“I think it is a massive boost for everyone,” the Norway international added.
“The way we did it also, it maybe wasn’t the best game, but you just saw everyone pushing so hard, digging so deep.
“I think you saw the mentality in the team when we stepped up for the penalties. I am really proud of everyone. We have to use this in a good way.
“I think we have to use this, we have to grow off this. 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. It should be a massive boost for everyone.
“Every time we play, we want to win. We want to fight for all the trophies we can.”
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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