Arsenal head into Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting CP with a narrow 1-0 advantage and a strong record in Europe this season, as Mikel Arteta challenges the squad to attack the tie with intensity at Emirates Stadium and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time in many years.
Kai Havertz’s 91st-minute winner in Lisbon gives Arsenal control of the last-eight contest, and Opta’s supercomputer rates Arteta’s side as clear favourites, projecting a 61.4% chance of victory in the second leg and an 88% probability of progressing, after 10 wins and one draw from 11 Champions League matches this campaign.
Despite that strong European run, Arsenal arrive from a difficult domestic spell, losing 2-1 to Bournemouth
in the Premier League, which means three defeats in the last four matches across all competitions, a sharp contrast to the first 49 fixtures of the season, when Arsenal recorded 37 wins, nine draws and only three losses.
Arteta acknowledged the pressure yet stressed that the situation also brings opportunity, highlighting how much work has gone into reaching this stage and how Arsenal’s performances have altered the club’s outlook since Arteta’s appointment, shifting from concern about the direction of the team to a focus on pushing deeper into the Champions League.
Asked directly what he expects from Arsenal against Sporting CP, Arteta paused before delivering a vivid answer, underlining the emotional edge he wants at Emirates Stadium while urging both the squad and the fanbase to embrace the moment and attack every situation without hesitation in front of the home crowd.
"No fear. Pure fire. That's it. That's what I want to see from the players, the people and myself. Go for every opportunity. It's unbelievable. We are in April, an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let's confront it and go for it. I am putting everything into it.Fire! I'm on fire! That's it. Nothing else. I'm dreaming so much. "
Arteta also reflected on Arsenal’s journey under current leadership, explaining how those inside the club experienced earlier uncertainty and why the present run feels different, with a clear sense of drive replacing earlier anxiety about the long-term future at the top level of European football.
"I've done so much to be in this position. Because I know how this club was. I've done so much against anything that I just see beauty, opportunity. I want to get it done who have been on this journey with us. They deserve it, it's unbelievable. I have zero fear. I had a fear that,if we didn't get this done, I don't know what would happen to the club. Now? It's just purpose, fire, direction. "
Arsenal Champions League history and Sporting CP record
Arsenal’s European history offers further encouragement before Sporting CP visit north London, as the club has advanced from 19 of 20 knockout ties after winning the away first leg, with the single exception coming against Olympiakos in the 2019-20 Europa League last 32, when a 1-0 away success was overturned by a 2-1 home defeat on away goals.
Sporting CP have never beaten Arsenal in European competition, with eight meetings producing four Arsenal victories and four draws, and the English side stand as the opponent the Portuguese club have faced most often in UEFA tournaments without claiming a single win, which adds another statistical edge to Arsenal’s current position in this quarter-final.
When viewed together, those figures explain the strong projections from the Opta model, which reflect both this season’s Champions League form and Arsenal’s historical success when holding a first-leg lead, though Sporting CP still retain hope of turning the tie if Arsenal repeat recent domestic lapses in concentration or fail to manage key moments under pressure.
A spot in the Champions League semi-final awaitspic.twitter.com/9VvBpLqLkDArsenal (@Arsenal) April 13, 2026
Arsenal Champions League push amid ‘bottling’ debate
Arsenal’s failure to move 12 points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League has triggered familiar criticism, with some observers suggesting another late-season collapse and using the term "bottling" as City continue their title defence, especially after a clip from the away end at Stamford Bridge gathered attention during Manchester City’s visit to Chelsea.
That footage showed a supporter in City colours apparently drinking from an Arsenal-branded bottle, which then went viral on social media, and Arteta was quizzed about the incident on Tuesday, with the head coach dismissing the noise around such clips and choosing instead to stress the backing Arsenal receive at Emirates Stadium in major fixtures.
"One fan? Arteta replied. One fan that says something, over 60,000 fans that are incredible at the Emirates? I don't get moved by that. I show [my players] all the people and players that love these players for what they're doing which is unprecedented in this club. What we are trying to achieve, it's difficult, challenging, bumpy at times. It's supposed to be like this. You have to confront it. "
Arsenal now look to bring that same mentality into the second leg with Sporting CP, aiming to match Arteta’s call for "pure fire" while relying on their strong Champions League record, home support and favourable statistics to secure a semi-final place and extend a European campaign that has reshaped expectations around the club this season.
