Arsenal sealed a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, winning 2-1 in the second leg played on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The Gunners, who went into the match with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, extended their dominance despite an early scare and a missed penalty from Bukayo Saka in the 13th minute.
The match remained goalless at halftime, with both sides picking up early yellow cards. David Alaba and Raul Asensio were booked in the 4th and 11th minutes, respectively, while Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya also received a yellow card in the 36th minute.
Arsenal eventually broke the deadlock in the 65th minute through Bukayo Saka, who made amends for his earlier miss by slotting home with an assist from Mikel Merino.
Real Madrid responded almost immediately, with Vinícius Júnior levelling the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute.
The match remained on edge until stoppage time, when Gabriel Martinelli scored in the 90+3 minute to hand Arsenal a deserved 2-1 win on the night.
Merino again provided the assist, making it a memorable performance for the Spanish midfielder.
Yellow cards were also shown late in the game to Antonio Rüdiger and Thomas Partey in the 85th minute.
The PUNCH
