11 March 2024 , 22:30
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Porto have been warned the Emirates Stadium is now a "different animal" as Arsenal target a famous European night in north London.
The Gunners, who trail 1-0, are preparing to stage their first Champions League knockout tie on home soil since they were demolished 5-1 by Bayern Munich seven years ago. So much has changed since then - not least the drastic shift in atmosphere that former Arsenal central defender Martin Keown has noticed over the past two seasons.
The pundit, speaking on behalf of TNT Sports, the exclusive home of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, said: "I think the Emirates is a different animal now, we were fed that it was the promised land when we first moved there. But we hadn't quite seen that atmosphere, however, I think in the last two seasons we have.
"The fans are always playing a part, they're good judges and when they've got a team that makes them respond, it works together. The symmetry is back and it's united again. These supporters were brought up on success, they're still young enough and old enough to see what was coming before and they can taste it coming again."
Mikel Arteta is evidently in agreement. The proud Spaniard said after Kai Havertz's late goal helped record an eighth successive Premier League victory against Brentford: “This stadium is going to have an energy you have never seen before in your life. Bring your noise, bring your passion.”
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Keown is optimistic Arsenal have the tools to not only edge Porto but go far in the competition. He added: "I think they can do something big in Europe this season but they need to get past this first step.
"Arsenal have won most of their recent games very quickly, it's been great for their confidence and there is no real fear of complacency. They're in that sort of tunnel now where you eat, breathe, sleep football and it looks like they're on their way to doing something special."
Although they blanked in Porto, Arsenal's attack has mustered 26 goals in their past six Premier League matches and big-money signing Kai Havertz has scored in each of his last four top-flight games.
Kai Havertz celebrates his winning goal vs Brentford (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Keown anticipates the German to have a say after his late heroics at the weekend, adding: "I thought it was lazy journalism when Arsenal didn't get the goals they needed against West Ham in December after having 30 shots at goal and everyone was jumping on the bandwagon saying they haven't got a striker.
"I thought what they needed to do is work better and find solutions with the ones they've got. It was all becoming a bit too predictable and now they've become unpredictable. The goals are coming in from all directions and Havertz is playing his best football."
One big obstacle Arsenal must navigate is Porto's knack of wasting time. The ball was in play for just 51.7 per cent during the first meeting and there were 36 fouls committed, the most in any Champions League match this season.
Keown says Arsenal must stamp that out, concluding: "You hope the officials help you. We're not imagining what we saw. Their manager said they were trying to play football and we were trying to win the game. It's quite bullish but let's see how they fare in that cauldron and cocktail of noise they're going to face at the Emirates, it's going to be a great night."
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