That’s how you bounce back, folks. That’s how you play an away leg. Arsenal left it late but the goals count the same in the 91st minute as they do in the 1st. Substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz were the difference in a cagey, low-event match, combining to score a gorgeous goal in second half added time to give the Gunners an important 1-0 lead heading back to London next week.
It was Sporting’s first home loss in the Champions League this season. And they always score at home. Until the Gunners
came to town.
Arsenal wouldn’t have been in position to win the match if not for David Raya. He made two outstanding saves, one early in the first half and one late in the second, to keep Sporting out (along with some solid, if unspectacular ones, too). The defense played well, I don’t want to take anything away from them, but even the best defenses need their keeper from time to time. David Raya answered the bell.
I cannot overemphasize how important the early save was. Conceding an early goal on the road, particularly off the back of two losses to go out of two competitions, would have been quite the body-blow. Arsenal might have recovered anyway but David Raya getting his fingertips to Maxi Araujo’s shot to tip it onto the bar ensured we didn’t have to find out how the Gunners would respond. The second half save was impressive, too. Raya had very little to do all half, and all of a sudden, he had to make a reaction save from a close-range header after seeing it late because of Gabriel’s positioning.
As you’d expect, Martin Ødegaard made a massive difference for Arsenal. The captain was constantly on the ball, setting the tempo, and helping pin Sporting back, particularly in the second half. And if that’s not enough for you, Ødegaard is constantly organizing the team’s shape on the pitch and urging his teammates up the field, even out of possession. When he came off in the 70th minute, likely a planned sub as the Norwegian works back from injury, Sporting were finally able to get out of their own half and create a bit of threat of their own.
The winning goal was a thing of beauty. Gabriel Martinelli danced around two men on the touchline. In what was a bit of a tendency-breaker, he dribbled into the middle instead of down the line to get around the corner. Two defenders charged towards him and a third stepped up before trying to get back, but before they were close enough to challenge, he chipped a ball into the box for Kai Havertz. The German’s first touch was magnificent, deadening the ball into his path without forcing him to break stride. His second touch slotted the ball into the low corner. It was the fourth goal Arsenal have tallied in the Champions League where both the goal and assist came from substitutes, the most of any club in the competition.
Viktor Gyokeres’ movement was an important part of the goal, too. As Martinelli dribbled into the middle, the striker showed short, pulling the weak-side CB with him, and pinned him to his back. That’s the space that Kai Havertz ran into. The German was also able to slip off the back of his initial marker because Martinelli beat two men. The Sporting player standing next to Havertz charged towards the Brazilian once they saw him breaking free with the ball into the middle of the pitch.
The Swedish striker redeemed himself a bit with his off-ball contribution on the goal because it was his lazy walk back that took an earlier Martin Zubimendi tally off the board. Gyokeres was well offside, nullifying the Spaniards impressive first-touch, near-post shot from distance.
Noni Madueke had an excellent game, providing plenty of threat and danger down the right flank while he was on the pitch. It’s a shame that Maxi Araujo was permitted to repeatedly foul him without being booked. Once Madueke was subbed off for Max Dowman, the Sporting fullback picked up where he left off, committing two or three fouls against the teenager in the span of about five minutes. Araujo ended the match with seven fouls to his name but somehow stayed out of the referee’s book. Other than that, the ref had a perfectly fine game.
It wasn’t the dominating, suffocating, and commanding performance we’ve seen from the team when they’re at their best, but it was much, much better than it has been lately. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of today’s fixture, either. Sporting are a quality side, particularly at home, with plenty of attacking firepower. Arsenal’s threat forced the home side to choose their spots carefully and not commit men forward too often. Sporting were as much (or more) to blame for the cagey match.
At this point of the season, it doesn’t really matter how the wins come. Find a way and get things across the line. Play solid football, trust the structured defense that got you here, and let the quality shine through for a moment of brilliance like Martinelli and Havertz engineered to win today. You really can’t script an away leg better than today. (Okay, you can — Eindhoven last season, but you get the point).
Arsenal are two draws and two wins away from winning the Champions League.
