Arsenal’s latest test is to overcome the physical and mental exertions of a draining shootout defeat
Arsenal were starting to look like they could do without the Europa League and now they don’t have to. Losing on penalties to Sporting and being eliminated from Europe leaves Mikel Arteta’s side with a clear goal for the rest of the season and if ever there was a night to highlight the importance of that, this tough battle at the Emirates might have been it. If Arsenal manage to beat Crystal Palace on Sunday and clinch the Premier League title at the end of the season, that defeat will be quickly overlooked.
Pedro Goncalves made sure to be remembered, however, with a remarkable goal that forced extra time and served Arsenal well for another 30 minutes. The Sporting midfielder’s stunning strike straight from the Arsenal half will be seen as the miracle of a rather unwelcome evening for the Premier League leaders, who were dragged so deep into the depths of a round of 16 they would admit they had can done without.
Of all the possible scenarios, extra time was probably the worst for Arsenal, who slouched more towards the quarter-finals before Goncalves praised Aaron Ramsdale from all 50 yards. Goncalves’ goal was a wonderfully delicate moment of vision and inspiration, but it hit Arsenal cold. Arteta’s side were apparently wary of overexerting themselves. It had already been a devastating night with William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu both limping away in the first half while extra time posed further danger.
That was made clear when Manuel Ugarte was sent off by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz for a brutal and worrying lunge against Bukayo Saka, the latest in a series of increasingly robust challenges from Sporting. Arsenal were already at the limit and Arteta reached for reserves he certainly wouldn’t have wanted to have to take both Saka and Martin Odegaard off the bench. If it was a feat of strength to force a brave Sporting side to retreat, Arsenal were instead grateful to have come through the rest of the game unscathed.
Arsenal looked more like themselves with Odegaard and Saka on the pitch, but Sporting still forced penalties after an excellent series of saves from experienced goalkeeper Antonio Adan. Leondro Trossard missed Arsenal’s best chances in extra time, spurning the gift of a back pass from Adama Diomande when Adan tapped his well-worn shot against the post. Gabriel Magalhaes was denied twice by Odegaard crosses. Adan later became the hero of Sporting’s night when he saved Gabriel Martinelli’s penalty in a penalty shootout. Nuno Santos made no mistake to seal a famous win.
For Arsenal and with all due respect to the Europa League and a night where the Gunners could enjoy a first European knockout game in three years in front of their fans, it will matter much less. There is no escaping where Arsenal’s priorities lie and the opportunity they have ahead of Manchester City by eight points on Sunday is too important to ignore, which of course leaves nights like today as a distraction.
There haven’t been many games this season where you can blame Arsenal, or even Arteta himself, for lacking the intensity to keep up. That’s what brought Sporting here and it was clear from the start which team was at stake with their season. This is not a criticism of Arsenal but rather reflects the fact that this was at least their 13th most important game of the rest of the season.
The visitors had Arteta’s side in last week’s first leg, a night Arsenal played better and drew, but Sporting were sharper from the start. Arsenal have seldom come close, but they could have ended the match before half-time after Granit Xhaka’s opener. He scored his first goal since October thanks to a costly Adan free-kick that put Martinelli’s shot back in jeopardy after Jorginho’s through ball.
It briefly woke Arsenal from its slumber. The returning Gabriel Jesus was denied by Adan in his brief post, but Sporting were the side to ask the questions Arsenal never seemed to take seriously enough. Visitors had moments, often filming Xhaka and Jorginho, but without ever looking clinical. Jeremiah St Juste was allowed to move forward before firing over the goal before Ugarte’s deflected shot went wide. Goncalves changed that with a stunning improvisation straight from the Arsenal half.
It was Sporting’s reward for a competitive performance and in response Saka and Thomas Partey were called off the bench. Ramsdale, quite embarrassed by Goncalves, redeemed himself by putting a shot in the face from Marcus Edwards when he was on goal, but Arsenal played the rest of regular time without creating a significant chance. Odegaard was the next to come on and gave Arsenal their usual spark, but Sporting held on to force penalties. But at the end of the season, this defeat could be considered a blessing.