Despite a concerning run of results in the past few weeks, Arsenal weathered the storm with a goalless draw against Sporting to secure a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for a second consecutive season.
It was certainly not comfortable, but they have booked their place in the next round, where they will face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Geny Catamo and Leandro Trossard both struck the woodwork, yet clear-cut chances were scarce and neither side truly looked like breaking the deadlock.
Arsenal’s focus now shifts immediately to one of their biggest games of the season, as they travel to face title rivals Manchester City in a fixture which could have huge implications on the Premier League title race.
Story of the game:
Arsenal’s physical rut – marked by three defeats in their last four games across all competitions – forced Mikel Arteta’s hand into three changes. Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera returned to the backline, while Eberechi Eze made his first start after a spell on the sidelines.
Likewise, Rui Borges made two defensive and one midfield change of his own, having rested Osmane Diomande and Goncalo Inacio on the weekend.
Rallied on by the home crowd and seemingly undeterred by recent results, the hosts ramped up the pressure from the offset, with Eze driving them forward as the main catalyst
The Gunners dominated possession in the opening 10 minutes, working into some promising positions, but in a similar fashion to the first leg, they failed to test Rui Silva.
It was the Portuguese side who carved out the first clear opening. Francisco Trincao’s effort from outside of the box curled narrowly over the bar.
From that moment, the game quickly transitioned into an end-to-end contest.
Viktor Gyokeres came within inches of extending Arsenal’s advantage against his former club, only for Inacio to produce an excellent block from six yards.
At the other end, David Raya was incredibly fortunate not to hand Sporting a route back into the tie before the interval.
His misplaced pass fell straight to Pedro Goncalves, but the former Wolves playmaker could not capitalise on the golden opportunity.
Sensing an opportunity, Sporting surged forward again late in the half, with **Geny Catamo**’s effort rattling the woodwork, but the visitors were unable to make the pressure count before half time.
With creativity in short supply, it came as no surprise that Arsenal’s few openings were coming through Eze and Madueke, who were both central to anything positive going forward.
However, one of the loudest receptions of the night came during the introduction of 16-year-old Max Dowman, who continues to attract global attention with every appearance.
Yet there was a clear sense of caution in North London, as the Gunners struggled continuously to break Sporting down.
The first real opening of the second half arrived with only six minutes remaining, when Leandro Trossard headed onto the post from Dowman’s corner.
And despite a few late scares in stoppage time, Arsenal saw the game out professionally to set up a semi-final showdown with Atletico Madrid later this month.