Arsenal traveled to the Estádio José Alvalade on April 7, 2026, for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP. For most of the night, they looked exactly like a team weighed down by back-to-back cup exits.
Kai Havertz eventually popped up with a stoppage-time winner to secure a vital 1-0 win, meaning the Gunners take a slim lead back to the Emirates. Before Havertz struck, Arsenal had managed a measly 0.16 xG, while Sporting finished with 0.84 after wasting two huge chances. By any objective metric, Arsenal were lucky to win this one, and the player ratings show a performance that was much shakier than the final score suggests.
Arsenal players rated after the first leg against Sporting CP in the UCL Quarter Finals
David Raya earned a massive 8. The Spaniard showed exactly why he’s so vital to this team with a brilliant fingertip save to deny Maxi Araújo early on, which was a moment that could have changed the whole tie. If that goes in, we’re writing a very different story today. He also stepped up with a late double-save against Catamo and Suárez at point-blank range to keep the clean sheet intact.
Ben White (7) grew into the game after a shaky start, where Sporting found a lot of joy attacking his side with accurate long balls.
William Saliba (6) and Gabriel looked solid enough as a pair.
Gabriel (7) bullied the in-form Suárez out of the game and reacted quickest to clear the danger after Araújo hit the woodwork.
Riccardo Calafiori was calm on the ball, even if he didn’t offer much going forward, and we give him 6.
In midfield, Martin Odegaard had plenty of touches but struggled to really inject any pace into the play, and hence we give him 6 as well.
Declan Rice did his job defensively, though he offered almost nothing creatively, and we give him the same 6 rating.
Odegaard’s passing was hit-and-miss, but his set-piece delivery remained a threat. Martin Zubimendi thought he’d scored a beauty, only for VAR to rule it out for offside, and we give him 7.
Viktor Gyökeres, returning to a warm reception from the fans after scoring 97 goals in 103 games for Sporting, was kept quiet all night, and we give him a 5 rating.
Noni Madueke (7 rating) played well, baiting Araújo into several fouls and showing a directness that the rest of the starters lacked.
Gabriel Martinelli (7) looked sharp after coming on, testing the keeper before eventually providing the assist for the winner.
Havertz (7) himself, introduced around the 70th minute, drifted behind the backline to finish with typical composure, which was a classic Havertz goal.
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Scorzo’s Opinion:
Here is the hard truth Arsenal fans have to face: this result masks a performance that was poor for 89 minutes. The team looked completely unable to break down a Sporting side that out-created them nearly five to one in terms of expected goals.
David Raya basically kept Arsenal tied, a result Sporting probably deserved. Gyökeres, the big summer signing meant to fix the striker problem, offered nothing, and it was his poor positioning that cost Zubimendi his goal. That wasn’t just bad luck; it’s a sign of a player who still isn’t quite showing the intelligence needed at this level.
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What’s even more worrying is the reliance on a few moments of individual quality while Bukayo Saka is out injured. Some are calling this a professional European away performance, but it wasn’t. Arsenal created almost nothing from open play and relied on their keeper to bail them out. That one-goal lead feels incredibly thin heading into the second leg. Sporting know they are just as good as Arsenal, and their threat on the break is far from over.
