Arsenal defeated Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in Lisbon, thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Kai Havertz.
The second-half substitute tucked the ball past Rui Silva late on, giving the Premier League leaders a slender lead heading into next week’s second game at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal was under pressure entering into this match after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
And the tension was almost amplified when Sporting left-back Maxi Araujo sent a shot against the Arsenal crossbar early on, following a fantastic through play from Ousmane Diomande.
The Gunners had a lot of possession in the first half but couldn’t convert it into clear-cut opportunities. The closest they got to scoring was when Noni Madueke hit the crossbar directly from a corner.
Sporting constantly threatened Arsenal with quick counter-attacks, and Araujo almost punished them when he rushed forward again and cut the ball back to Francisco Trincao, who shot wide.
Martin Zubimendi believed he had given Arsenal the lead in the second half when he curled in from the edge of the box, but the goal was ruled out because former Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres was offside in the build-up.
The hosts poured on the pressure in the closing stages, and David Raya made three excellent saves to keep the scores equal until Havertz stole the victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal’s first win in three matches provides Mikel Arteta’s side confidence as they prepare to face Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend.
