Arsenal bounced back from back-to-back cup defeats in with an important and impressive win in Lisbon on Tuesday night.
It means Arsenal are 90 minutes from reaching the semi-final of the Champions League for the second year in a row.
With the second leg at The Emirates, the tie is not over, but it places Arsenal in a strong position.
Sporting had the better of the chances in the first half, but the game in general was fairly balanced, with Arsenal growing in authority late in the game. With minutes to go, Sporting looked a bit nervous, recognising they probably needed a goal themselves to take a lead to London. Instead, Arsenal’s ‘finishers’ Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz combined brilliantly to steal the game at the death.
Rate the players below and see the fan averages, and scroll down to see my ratings.
Here’s how I rated the players:
David Raya – 10
Ben White – 6
William Saliba – 7
Gabriel – 7
Riccardo Calafiori – 7
Martin Zubimendi – 6
Declan Rice – 7
Martin Odegaard – 6
Noni Madueke – 7
Viktor Gyokeres – 6
Leandro Trossard – 5
Man of the match: David Raya. Big saves at the start and end of the match from Raya meant Arsenal were in a position to go and win the game late. His presence on the ball is equally as valuable, as we have seen deficiencies with Kepa in goal in the last two cup games. If Arsenal win one of these major trophies, Raya will play a big part.
