Mikel Arteta had already drawn up the blueprint for Arsenal's penalty shootout excellence in win over Porto

The Gunners boss and his team were more than prepared for the spot kicks against Porto

LONDON -- They might call it a lottery but when Arsenal players strode towards the North Bank they had the look of men who knew they had the winning ticket in their back pocket. No one could have blamed them if 14 years without a Champions League quarterfinal weighed heavily on jerseys sodden with sweat and a north London downpour.

Not in the slightest. In swift succession, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice struck with purpose and precision. They gave David Raya a chance. He sprung towards it with arms stretched aloft. The Emirates Stadium took time to come to terms with the sidelining of their beloved Aaron Ramsdale; even if they knew that Raya was the superior goalkeeper, it is hard to let go of a player so emblematic of the era when they fell head over heels with the club again. Purposeful saves from Galeno and the excellent Wendell were enough to propel Raya even deeper into this stadium's affection.

For so much of the long drift from Leandro Trossard's equalizer across the tie, it had felt like Mikel Arteta had been guilty of keeping one eye on the shootout, refusing to throw too many forwards on in pursuit of victory and open up gaps for Porto to burst into on the break. Perhaps he had a point. Arsenal have long been extremely good at taking penalties.