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Arsenal fell to a 1-0 defeat against FC Porto at the Estadio do Dragao in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
The Gunners entered this contest on the back of a good run of form. They won each of their last five games, scoring 21 goals in the process and conceding just two. Their last outing was a stylish 5-0 win at Burnley in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta's men qualified for the Champions League knockout stage as winners of Group B with 13 points from their six games. The Spaniard fielded the same lineup as their last game as he looked to maintain the rhythm.
Both Porto and Arsenal made cautious starts to the game as they looked to build patiently from the back initially. The Gunners dominated possession in the first half but were unable to penetrate the visitors' penalty area effectively. When they did, their attempts were wayward as none of their four first-half shots were on target.
Meanwhile, Porto came close to opening the score at the other end as Wenderson Galeno drifted into the box. The ball dropped kindly to the Brazilian on the volley just six yards out but he smashed the left upright and somehow dragged the rebound wide.
Arsenal were spared their blushes and the teams were tied at 0-0 at the break.
The lack of creativity from Arsenal spilled over into the second half as they were withdrawn in the final third. An energetic Porto side pushed to have more of the ball and succeeded as they had 42% in the second half compared to 30% in the first. This allowed them more time to construct attacking moves.
The Gunners failed to hit the target in the second half as well despite three attempts in a dull display. They looked content with the goalless draw and defended well at the end. However, Wenderson Galeno came up with a moment of magic late on. His curling effort left David Raya stranded as Porto won 1-0 with virtually the last kick of the game.
Arsenal will look to bounce back in the return leg on March 12. On that note, let's take a look at their player ratings from this game.
Arsenal Player Ratings
David Raya - 6/10
Raya made one fairly simple save in the first half and distributed the ball with 53% accuracy, including six long balls. However, his positioning for Porto's goal was questionable as the Spaniard seemed to commit himself early.
Benjamin White - 6.5/10
White had a decent game as he won three duels, making one clearance, one interception and one tackle. He passed the ball with 86% accuracy, including one long ball.
William Saliba - 6.5/10
Saliba had a decent chance in the first half but could not guide his header goalwards. He won one duel and made three clearances and one interception.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6.5/10
Gabriel looked solid in defense barring the one moment leading to Galeno's effort in the first half. He won four duels, making three clearances and one tackle.
The Brazilian had Arsenal's only chance of the game late in the second half but fired his header over the bar.
Jakub Kiwior - 6/10
Kiwior had a disappointing outing and was booked for a foul after being nutmegged by Porto's Francisco Conceicao. He won just two of his eight duels and played one long ball.
Declan Rice - 7/10
Rice was caught early on as he was booked for a clumsy tackle in just the second minute of the game. He passed the ball with 86% accuracy, including four long balls and one key pass. He won seven duels, making four tackles and three interceptions.
Kai Havertz - 7/10
Havertz passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including one key pass. He also won five duels and attempted one shot that was off-target.
Martin Odegaard - 7/10
Odegaard made a positive start to the game and looked to progress the ball quickly. He passed the ball with 96% accuracy, including four long balls. He won four duels and attempted two shots that were off-target.
Bukayo Saka - 7/10
Saka made a good start to the game as he looked to make inroads towards Porto's goal from the right flank. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including two key passes and three crosses. He also won three duels and attempted a shot that was blocked.
Leandro Trossard - 6.5/10
Trossard attempted the Gunners' first shot of the game but could not keep it low enough to be on target. He played one key pass and won three duels.
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
Martinelli had a subpar outing as he failed to register a single shot. However, he completed three dribbles and won seven duels.
Substitutes
Jorginho - 6.5/10
Jorginho replaced Trossard in the 74th minute to give Arsenal more options to progress the ball through midfield. He passed the ball with 73% accuracy and won one duel.
