Footage has emerged of the WAGS and parents of Arsenal’s players reacting to Real Madrid’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid earlier this month.
Real’s win secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals where they will face Arsenal across two legs in April.
The Gunners had booked their place in the last eight earlier in the night as they drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven to seal an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win.
But some of their loved ones then stayed behind in a private family room at the Emirates to see which team from the Spanish capital they would face next.
The video begins with the packed room having just seen Marcos Llorente miss Atletico’s fourth penalty of the shootout.
That left Antonio Rudiger with the chance to step up and send Real through, and the stress appeared too much for one female in the family room who put her hand to her head.
One woman (right) put her hand to her head after Marcos Llorente’s penalty miss
A male fan was then in disbelief as Antonio Rudiger sealed Real’s place in the quarter-finals
Rudiger celebrated wildly, while Arsenal’s WAGs and families appeared disappointed that they would be facing Los Blancos next
The centre back duly converted his spot-kick, and there was a stunned silence in the room, while one man was seen shaking his head, seemingly disappointed that Real would be Arsenal’s next opponents.
The apparent anxiety around facing Real in the Champions League is understandable given the Spanish giants’ remarkable record in the competition.
Los Blancos have won the European Cup 15 times, and are the defending champions after beating Borussia Dortmund in last year’s final at Wembley.
Arsenal are also sweating on the fitness of star man Bukayo Saka, who is facing a race against time to return from a serious hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since December.
Mikel Arteta already knows he will be without Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus for the tie with Real as both men are sidelined through injury.
This has led to Mikel Merino filling in as a makeshift striker in recent weeks.
However, Arsenal have never lost to Real in the Champions League, and may hold on to this as a crumb of comfort before next month’s meeting.
Admittedly, the two teams have only faced each other twice in Europe when they clashed in the last-16 of the Champions League in 2005-06.
Arsenal had booked their place in the last eight by thrashing PSV on aggregate, but their WAGs and families stayed behind to see who they would face next
Arsenal have happy memories of playing against Real after Thierry Henry’s goal knocked the Spanish giants out of the Champions League in 2005-06
Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to a Thierry Henry wondergoal, before a goalless draw at Highbury booked their place in the quarter-finals.
Arsene Wenger’s men went on to make the final that season before losing to Barcelona.
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