Arsenal are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League in a clash that will be quickly forgotten against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates
21:53, 15 Apr 2026
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There was a moment with just over 20 minutes left during Arsenal's Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon that summed up the Gunners' last few games.
Sporting were growing into the game, a penalty shout had the crowd on edge, and suddenly everything felt frantic. Arsenal players snapped into challenges, and even Mikel Arteta lost control on the touchline.
Arteta is an animated manager, he jumps for every header and kicks every ball - but time and time again he crosses the line (literally and metaphorically) inside the technical area.
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He riles up his team, who in turn, rile up the ground - and that cauldron of noise can turn sour every quickly.
That was evident on Wednesday evening, the nerves from the stands seeped onto the pitch during what should have been a routine match. Arsenal didn't have to win, just don't lose.
A side that looked unflappable at the turn of the year is now wobbling - and with recent exits in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, it could yet derail their Premier League and European ambitions.
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Arteta was on edge, left furious at some contentious refereeing decision - even turning to 16-year-old Max Dowman to try and bring some calm to the game.
But Arteta's problem is, his actions rarely settle things. Instead, it tends to the noise. His constant gesturing can spill into his players, who start to mirror the same urgency and lack of calm.
And with their franticness on the pitch, it all starts to spiral.
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In all reality, neither team really looked like scoring on Wednesday. Sporting seemed to quickly run out of ideas - and star man Luis Suarez was kept quite by the Gunners defence.
While Arteta had promised "no fear" and "pure fire", but neither translated onto the pitch. Kai Havertz's late strike in Lisbon was the difference - and Arsenal march on.
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Tougher tasks await them in Europe. They didn't make it easy on themselves, but the Gunners remain unbeaten and got the job done.