Arsenal will fancy UEFA Champions League chances at Emirates says Martin Keown - 'Ticking along beautifully'

Arsenal are "ticking along nicely" and will feel they can “potentially be winners” in the UEFA Champions League after knocking out Porto on penalties, says TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown.

The Gunners triumphed in a nerve-shredding shootout at a raucous Emirates on Tuesday after a 1-1 aggregate draw, with goalkeeper David Raya the hero after saving two penalties.

It ended a 14-year wait for Arsenal to take a place in the last eight of Europe’s top club competition, continuing what has been a superb season so far on the domestic front too.

Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League table, above Liverpool on goal difference and one point ahead of reigning English and European champions Manchester City – who they face next on March 31 at the Etihad Stadium.

“What [beating Porto] means is momentum, and that Arsenal can now go into that Man City game full of confidence,” Keown said on TNT Sports’ Champions League coverage.

“You know it’s the lion’s den, you know what they’ve achieved, six trophies last year, it’s the ultimate test. But they go there now really confident and in good form.

“It would have been a downer if they had lost this tonight and gone into the City game, of course they are out of the FA Cup, but now this keeps it ticking along beautifully. The players grow from it, there’s a lot of confidence now.

“It’s a really big night where they can feel that they can potentially be winners. I’m putting it out there – they want to win something.”

Keown added: “The fans have now got their Arsenal back again. This is a competitive team that is at boiling point, that wants to win every game.”

One string to Arsenal’s bow this season has been their form at the Emirates, where a packed-out crowd roared their team to shootout glory on Tuesday night.

Keown and his fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand agreed that the transformation of the Gunners’ home ground will stand them in good stead as they look to claim silverware between now and the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

“This stadium was called the promised land for those that played at Highbury,” Keown said.

“It hasn’t really quite worked. We were longing for these sorts of evenings and they are back again now.

“Nobody is going to want to come here in the next round because Arsenal as a prospect in Europe look very hot right now.”

Ferdinand added: “Arsenal Football Club hasn’t seen this for a while. This place is becoming a fortress. It’s a hard place to come now. They’re making it hard for everybody.”

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