Arteta's men prove they are the Real deal with Madrid masterclass

Saka’s redemption after fluffing his penalty defines the night the Gunners came of age.

- By Malik Ouzia, and Simon Collings in Madrid

Twice in the blinding hell of the Bernabeu, Arsenal had an easy escape route to kinder light. Twice, instead, they chose darkness, and picked a way through it with a staggering lack of alarm. In a performance of astounding authority, Mikel Arteta's side marched into the semi-finals of the Champions League, making footnotes of twin blunders en route to one of the finest results in their European history.

The talk in the build-up had been of the aura of Real Madrid, of how, even trailing 3-0 from the first leg, these 15-times kings of the continent had history and some illogical present and future on their side. Yet twice Arsenal shot themselves with moments that might have set the nerves of a less steeled team on edge, Bukayo Saka missing an early penalty that would have settled the tie, then William Saliba's clanger giving it resuscitation after the Englishman's dink had all-but declared it dead.

In both instances, though, Arsenal refused to panic, resetting immediately to a game state that had them in command, Madrid left flinging aimless crosses into the penalty area having exhausted a limited plan and getting nowhere.

Gabriel Martinelli's runaway clincher in stoppage time made it 5-1 on aggregate and ensured that easily the best side over two legs won them both. So utterly nullified were Madrid and Europe's most star-studded front-four that their one goal in 180 minutes came from a tackle. There were twin prizes claimed by Arsenal here, not merely progress to the last-four for only the third time in their history, but also the preservation of those first leg memories, of those Declan Rice free-kicks and the most joyous single night of the Emirates era, now confirmed as something of lasting substance as well.

A night for heroes