The Gunners will host Porto in the second leg of the UCL round of 16

Mikel Arteta asked Arsenal players to appear braver as they try to overturn the aggregate deficit against Porto in the Champions League. The Gunners will host the team from Portugal in the second leg of the last 16 of the 2023/24 Champions League. The plan is for an exciting duel between the two teams will take place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday(12th March 2024).

In the first leg in Portugal three weeks ago, the Gunners lost 1-0 to The Dragons through a goal in injury time from Galeno. No wonder, victory is the only way for them to qualify for the next round. However, the signs of a comeback are clear, the last time Arsenal lost in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League and still managed to qualify was in the 2009/10 season, also against Porto. They won 5-0 at home after losing 2-1 away added to this is the Hosts Arsenal's outstanding performance in the EPL which has seen them now win eight matches in a row, scoring 33 goals in the process. This is valuable capital facing this important match, "We prepared as best we could, made a lot of the right decisions and then were brave," said Arteta.

"You can't wait in a situation like this, you have to go on the attack and make it happen. That's our approach in the game." Arteta urged the Gunners fans to "make some noise" at Emirates Stadium, as the club bids to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2010. "I think the impact the fans can have tomorrow is extraordinary. I don't think they realize it," continued Arteta. "We need that noise, we need them to play every ball with us and we also need the emotional control to understand that the game will go through certain phases and we have to be smart to get what we want.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to have one of those nights, it's been 14 years, so everything we did there will pay off. "That's the opportunity we have tomorrow. In front of our fans, in our stadium for 90 minutes bring your energy, bring your voice and let's do it together." Arsenal struggled in the first leg in Porto, with the Portuguese side making it a tight contest. They failed to get a single shot on target, but the 41-year-old head coach said his team had learned from the defeat.

"Every week, every opponent has their strengths and weaknesses and the way they play the game," he said. "Now we know their way a little better. The Gunners have played games like this many times in the EPL. We will just focus on ourselves and do more than we did in Porto. "We certainly have to change some things to produce more than we did, this is Champions League level. "You face top teams and the fact that there are two games is in your mind and we have to be better tomorrow."