Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Lisbon (aggregate: 1-0): The Gunners reached the last four of the Champions League after a tense night at the Emirates that ended goalless.
Arsenal hold off Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates to advance to the last four
Arsenal defeated Sporting Lisbon on a tense night in north London, with a goalless draw good enough for the Gunners to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
In a game lacking in scoring opportunities, the Premier League leaders were able to rely on their defence, keeping a clean sheet and setting up a match against Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
The Gunners regained a one-goal lead from the Portuguese capital last week and began pressing for home advantage from the start, but were unable to capitalize.
Sporting gained momentum and called for a penalty in the second half when Cristian Mosquera pushed Maximiliano Araujo in front of the Arsenal goal, but the referee dismissed his appeal.
Sporting improved in the first half by giving the hosts control of possession and territory with an early offensive attack. Some of their chances were self-inflicted by the Gunners, who gave the ball away in an attempt to play out.
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The Portuguese side came closest when Jenny Katamo’s cannon first shot hit the post after being handed the ball to Arsenal. Sporting’s goal did little to worry Rui Silva for the hosts, as the match remained goalless at the end of the first half.
While Sporting struggled to create the scoring chances they desperately needed, Arsenal themselves knew a goalless draw was enough and continued to control the game without throwing players forward. Leandro Trossard came off the bench and saw his second-half header hit the post.
In the end, the result was enough for the Gunners to celebrate reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the second year in a row. Here are five talking points from a tense Emirates flight.
quiet the noise
Had Sporting gone 5-4 for the Gunners, all hell would surely have broken loose. Arsenal’s win over Portugal last week was their only win in recent weeks, but since the loss to Bournemouth, the narrative has centered on the capitulation of the season.
Sporting Lisbon came close to scoring in the first half and fired a shot that hit the post.
However, progressing to the last four of the Champions League is a no-brainer and they remain the only representatives of the Premier League. A loss would have handed them another trophy, and the blow would have hurt doubly considering they were the favorites to make the breakthrough. They justified the favor and got the season back on track for now.
Atleti’s tasks
Teams that advance to the final four of the Champions League will be required to dress appropriately. But rewind just six months and Arsenal would have beaten Atletico by four at the Emirates.
It was a completely resounding victory, and it came at a time when Arsenal were at their peak. There is no doubt that their form has dropped since that blow, which saw Gabriel and Victor Gokeres score. Atlético showed a classic blend of ruthlessness and relentless defensive quality this week to fend off Barcelona in what is now a dastardly feat. Negotiating with Diego Simeone in a knockout game is never going to be easy, but Arsenal’s recent achievements against the Spanish side should give them a lot of confidence.
David Raya put pressure on his team with part of the distribution
the nerves are still there
The main goal for Arsenal was to avoid losing on Wednesday night. They did it, but the way some of the plays were played was that of a team that was completely unable to cope with the tension that inevitably ensues when trying to cross the line.
This is a group of players who have yet to take the final step at a club in the midst of a six-year trophy drought. Raya had moments where he was denied the ball, but Arsenal looked to take advantage of Sporting’s pressure. This is a game Arsenal would have won in third gear a few months ago. Everything has a little bit more weight on it now and you can see that the players are aware of that.
Cancellation of penalty
Sporting are adamant that they should have awarded a penalty, but will almost certainly point to the referee’s decision to continue blowing the whistle in the 65th minute. The first goal is always going to be a big one – either the equalizer or the game-winner.
Mikel Arteta went into the game under serious pressure following recent results.
Araujo aimed for the end of the deflected shot, but before he could get there he was pushed from behind by Cristian Mosquera, who was on the opposite flank. Officials decided the contact was not enough to bring it down, and VAR agreed. But it’s a classic case of “elsewhere on the pitch” and there’s a good chance that the decision will be in your favor.
Kai arteta players
With the match goalless and less than an hour old, Arteta decided to remove Victor Gokeres and replace him with Kai Havertz. It was replacing an out-and-out striker with a deep-lying striker, and it said a lot about what the Arsenal manager was trying to achieve in the final half-hour or so.
Havertz spent most of the season injured, but was an excellent linkman when he was a regular in Arsenal’s attack. Havertz could end up playing a bigger role in the coming weeks as the game becomes increasingly volatile and Arsenal need more control.
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