UCL quarter-final: Hard team for anybody – Rio Ferdinand reacts to Arsenal’s win

Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has said Arsenal will be a hard team for anyone to face in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Ferdinand was speaking on TNT Sports after the Gunners beat Porto to reach the quarter-final stages on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta’s men lost 1-0 in Portugal, but levelled the tie on the night through Leandro Trossard.

However, Arsenal failed to add more goals and the match was eventually decided via penalty shoot-out.

David Raya saved two spot kicks, while Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all converted as Arsenal reached the last eight of the competition for the first time in 14 years.

They will join teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the next round.

“I think they are genuinely a hard, hard opposition for anybody left in the competition, I don’t care who it is,” Ferdinand told TNT Sport.

“Manchester City, over two legs, it is a difficult game for them because Arsenal are a team that can match most teams left in this competition.

“Whether they beat them, I think they can go close to anyone at the moment.”