Saka and Martinelli seal a signature triumph for Arsenal and Arteta in Madrid
WHO ELSE?: Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, second leg match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire
It may have been Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in Madrid, but there was no divine resurrection for the Champions League holders as Mikel Arteta’s magnificent Arsenal stormed the Bernabéu to put an exclamation point on this quarter-final triumph.
Los Blancos had been left with a mountain to climb following their 3-0 defeat in North London last week, a task which proved impossible even to the kings of the comeback. The win, sealed by Gabriel Martinelli's injury-time finish, sees Arsenal progress to the Champions League semi-final for only the third time in their history, booking a date with French giants PSG in the final-four.
Bukayo Saka had more than made up for a first-half penalty miss when he delightfully chipped Arteta's visitors in front shortly after the hour, looking to have sealed the tie in the process. A disastrous defensive lapse mere minutes later gave Madrid hope but it would prove faint and fleeting.
Los Blancos, willed on by the Madridistas who have grown so accustomed to success in this competition, appeared to get themselves off to the dream start with Kylian Mbappé chesting the ball into the Arsenal net in the third minute. Arsenal blushes were quickly spared by the linesman who waved the Frenchman offside.
A near-dream start quickly became a near-nightmare one when David Alaba wassomewhat lucky to only be shown a yellow card following a crunching tackle on Saka moments after. Things got significantly worse in the opening moments when, following a VAR review, Raul Asencio was found guilty of dragging down Mikel Merino in the Real Madrid box.
Up stepped Saka, who has become an ever-reliable spot-kick taker for club and country in recent years. Staring down a four-goal deficit, Thibaut Courtois saved the Englishman’s pitiful Panenka attempt, reigniting the dreams of a ‘remontada’.
To say the penalty save gave the game a breath of fresh air would be an injustice to the opening ten minutes prior, but the ensuing moments gave the encounter a new air of tension which Arteta would have wanted his side to avoid. The Arsenal manager remarked in his pre-match press conference that his players mustn't let the occasion and their emotions get the better of them.
Declan Rice, who was the hero of the first-leg with two tremendous free-kicks, looked as though his emotions had indeed got the better of him when he was judged to have pulled Mbappé down in the Arsenal box.
The Englishman protested the decision with a fury that edged on dissent, protesting his innocence. Following a lengthy VAR check, the second of the game to go in the visitors’ favour, Rice was acquitted of any wrongdoing and saw his yellow card for the foul removed. The erratic nature of the encounter soon settled much to the delight of the visitors. David Raya, who was shown a yellow card for time wasting following a more than lengthy delay when taking a goal-kick. Ancelotti’s hope would no doubt have been for his side to at least begin climbing the mountain that was necessary to comeback in the tie before halftime.
Seven added minutes brought little action, and the half-time whistle brought an end to an opening period which kept Arteta and Arsenal firmly in the driving seat of the quarter-final tie. The phrase '90 minutes in The Bernabéu is a very long time' dominated the headlines in the lead-up, though much to the disappointment of most in the stands, the first-half of those 90 saw Los Blancos largely outplayed.
Arsenal’s game plan for the second half became crystal clear in the opening moments with the Gunners setting up shop in Real Madrid’s corners with little desire to leave. Tempers began to flare from Real Madrid players and fans alike, with both groups somewhat letting Arsenal’s frustrating game plan get the better of them.
Despite the visitors clearly being content to keep the tie at an aggregate 3-0, a moment of magic from Saka gave the travelling Gunners a goal to celebrate and Arsenal one foot in the semi-finals.
Saka met Merino’s sublime through ball in the Real penalty area and bettered the assist with a sensational finish, clipping it over Courtois and atoning for his earlier penalty miss. A remontada of its own.
Real’s turn to deal a blow to their visitors finally came not two minutes after Saka’s opener, with Vinicius Junior stealing the ball from William Saliba and clipping it into an unguarded goal with David Raya nowhere to be seen. But with the aggregate score reading 4-1 to Arsenal with 20 minutes to go, it seemed as though this was a task even the kings of comebacks might fall short on.
A near-perfect night for Arsenal was topped off by Gabriel Martinelli in stoppage time, when he found himself one-on-one with Courtois to slot home the winner, capping off a five-star performance over the two legs for Arteta’s side.
The final whistle brought an end to a two-legged performance that Real Madrid will quickly want to forget, with Arsenal putting their quest to defend their Champions League title to an emphatic end. The Gunners will play French giants PSG in the final-four, and Arteta will no doubt have the confidence in his side to go all the way.
Courtois 6, Vázquez 6 (Endrick 61), Asencio 4 (Modric 74), Rudiger 4, Alaba 5 (García 61), Valverde 5, Tchouameni 5, Bellingham 5, Rodrygo 5 (Ceballos 61), Vinicius Jr 7, Mbappé 5 (Diaz 75)
Raya 6, Timber 5 (White 95), Saliba 5, Kiwior 6, Lewis-Skelly 6, Partey 7, Rice 7 (Zinchenko 95), Odegaard 5, Saka 8 (Trossard 77), Martinelli 8 (Tierney 95), Merino 8
François Letexier 7
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