Arsenal 0-0 Sporting: The Gunners qualified for the Champions League semi-finals but had another nervous night as the game was held at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice reacts after the final whistle against Sporting
There were few fires, but plenty of scares. Still, Arsenal managed to get over the line and advance to the Champions League semi-finals.
On the surface, the result was good enough, with Arsenal reaching back-to-back semi-finals for the first time and should reignite their lackluster season.
But it rarely felt that comfortable. Instead, Kai Havertz scored the winning goal in stoppage time in the first leg, leading to a nervous stalemate. Arsenal created few chances to score at home.
Before the game, Mikel Arteta called on Arsenal to bring “pure fire” and show they are “not afraid”. However, those words were far from the point.
TIFO’s giant pre-match banner read “History in our sights”, a clear message about reaching back-to-back European semi-finals.
read more: Arsenal confirm date and time for Champions League semi-final
But in a week that will surely define Arsenal’s entire season, there were few signs of an uplifting mob-boosting, morale-boosting performance.
Arsenal wobbled last Saturday against Bournemouth and are in serious danger of blowing their lead in the title race as they face arch-rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
I can understand the nerves and tensions against Sporting Lisbon, but you need belief and confidence at the end of a business season.
Instead, Arsenal look flat, tired and vulnerable. Sadly, Arsenal started to decline as April started and this was not a performance that would scare the rest of Europe.
Arsenal celebrate reaching Champions League semi-finals
Arsenal should be proud of their eighth clean sheet in 12 Champions League games this season. But if they look nervous about playing Sporting Lisbon, just imagine if they reach the final they will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
Atletico Madrid are currently waiting to face Arsenal in the semi-finals, but they will feel that a match between Arteta and Diego Simeone is unlikely to produce any football classics or extravaganzas.
Perhaps that suits Arsenal, who are in a war of attrition. That’s because they don’t play flashy and have proven to be even less entertaining. In fact, they have created their own moments of drama with misplaced passes and David Raya’s special ball from the back.
Blamey, Raya might have thought he would have learned his lesson after his escape against Bournemouth, but this time two sloppy passes fell through.
This pretty much summed up the tension at Arsenal. You know you’re in trouble when William Saliba, usually the coolest customer on the pitch, passes straight to your opponent.
Mikel Arteta watched his team reach the Champions League semi-finals again
They might have been punished by a better team, but Genny Katamo hit the post in the first half and Maxi Araujo fired in the second half.
Arsenal looked better with Eberechi Eze in the lineup, but Victor Gokeres was very bad. Everything bounced back at him. He didn’t look well. And it’s hard to understand why they paid him £64m in the summer.
That’s the story of Arsenal’s season. Too many players lost their way in April. They looked tired, flat and exhausted. It was supposed to be an uplifting night. Still, when the final whistle arrived, there was more of a sense of relief than celebration.
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Noni Madueke was sent off injured after another wasted and frustrating night. Martin Zvimendi looked like a shadow of the player who was so good in the first half of the season. There are many others like him.
Arsenal won again without conceding a goal. But when the final whistle blew, few people were celebrating. In fact, they looked very relieved.
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