Kobe's late clutchness ends the Lakers' skid and leaves experts scratching their heads.

Arsenal's Danish striker has been pilloried for his profligacy – but not on this occasion as he repaid his manager's faith

The elongated three-week gap between the two legs of this last-16 tussle has brought substantial change for Arsenal. They won three Premier League games while the title favourites hiccupped and eased closer to the summit, reinstated the first-choice goalkeeper at the expense of the fretful Lukasz Fabianski, lost their captain to a hamstring strain, and were doused in the emotional fuel of the Aaron Ramsey injury.

But perhaps the most significant shift is that, prior to the first leg, Arsène Wenger reasonably judged the Champions League as their better bet for silverware – and that was a long shot. And now? Nine domestic games, largely against moderate opposition, is favourable to the ferocious challenge in Europe. Five more knock-out games against the calibre of team Arsenal have floundered against looks several hurdles too far for this team, despite the verve with which they dismantled Porto. On the off-chance they did outmanoeuvre, say, Real Madrid in the next round, then Chelsea could be next. Or Barcelona. Or Manchester United. To put it into some perspective, in their 2006 run to the final they confronted Real, Juventus, Villarreal and Barcelona.

To Arsenal's huge credit, they turned around a European deficit against Porto – something they have not managed in continental competition since Hajduk Split were beaten at Highbury in 1978 – without three pivotal players. The injury updates on William Gallas, Cesc Fábregas and Robin van Persie suggest it is not impossible they will have again to try to compete without such an important trio in the quarter-finals.

But it is a sign of the progress Wenger preaches that others were able to step up so manfully. The midfield trio of Alex Song, Samir Nasri and Abou Diaby – aged 22, 22 and 23 respectively – handled the responsibility with relish. Nasri had the unenviable task of impersonating Fábregas, and with your eyes half-closed you could have been forgiven for thinking the Catalan master was on the pitch. Nasri demanded the ball, used it beautifully, and cropped up all over the place. One minute he nodded a Porto chance off the goal-line. Not long after he danced into the box and thrashed in Arsenal's third goal.

Typically of Wenger's team, there were sloppy moments at the back, but the emphasis on going for the jugular was what made Arsenal's heart beat. Fortunately, Nicklas Bendtner's prodigious twin took the field, and gave a performance that was as composed and authoritative in front of goal as he was hurried and flustered three days ago. His hat-trick had an abundance of the striker's instinct.

His opening goal was harder than the chances he squandered so compulsively against Burnley here three days ago. With a flurry of defenders closing in, he needed to get the technique and anticipation right while he was off balance. The Dane's overall record since returning after a three- month lay-off is a strike rate of five in four. That off day can be put to bed for now.

Bendtner's success owed much to the little man on his left, Andrey Arshavin. The Russian looks as if he should be playing football in another century. The way he bamboozled Porto to tee up the second was reminiscent of something you might see on sepia footage from the 1930s. Alex James, who signed for Arsenal for the then eye-watering fee of £8,750 in 1929, was a creative inside-forward with close control and cleverness. Arshavin's combination of drag-back and mini-dribble was not only majestic to watch, it was also intelligent. Those extra touches ensured Bendtner was onside.

His timing to release Emmanuel Eboué for the fourth goal was again exquisite. Arshavin was exhilarating to watch, and it is notable that he appears to be enjoying his football now he is no longer shoved into emergency duty as a makeshift centre-forward. The winter weeks when Arsenal were so imbalanced made it easy to criticise where Wenger was going with this team. How different a proposition they are with a natural target man around whom the ball players can buzz.

Arshavin has played with pain for a considerable part of this campaign. But for a little man, with delicate skill, he is deceptively tough. And that is what Arsenal are showing increasingly as the season rolls towards its conclusion. Now the challenge is to prove they will not pushovers when the tests get sterner in the latter stages of the Champions League, as well as holding their nerve at home.

• Arsenal
• Champions League

Amy Lawrence
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