Martinelli and Havertz combine to snatch Arsenal last-gasp victory

GERMAN EFFICIENCY: Kai Havertz, centre, celebrates after scoring Arsenal's winning goal against Sporting on Tuesday night. Pic: Zed Jameson/PA 

Champions League: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1

The match clock had just ticked past the 90-minute mark when substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz combined in a moment of sheer quality to win Arsenal the hardest of first-leg victories in a tense Champions League quarter-final.

Both players have had their frustrations this season, but this flash of brilliance showed why Mikel Arteta sent on his dynamic duo with 20 minutes to go. Martinelli skipped past a couple of challenges as he cut in from the left and clipped a pass into his German team-mate, who deftly controlled with one foot and poked into the net with the other.

A draw would have been a great result. The win could be all that Arsenal need to progress.

Make no mistake, this was a huge night as Sporting took the field to deafening support from most of the 66,000 inside the Estadio Jose Alvalade for their first quarter-final since the competition became the Champions League.

For Arteta’s Arsenal it was an opportunity not just to lay the foundations for a second successive semi-final, but also to silence the narrative that they are on course to end a brilliant season without a trophy.

On paper, this was the easiest of the last-eight opponents they could have faced, but that shows little respect to a Sporting side at the top of their game. Rui Borges’ team came in on a club-record 17-match winning run, five of which came in this competition, including a victory over reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain. They had scored 50 goals and conceded only six.

For Arsenal, defeats in their last two matches — the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City and Saturday’s FA Cup exit at Championship side Southampton — had created a sense of unease. They needed to stop the rot.

The opening phases suggested it would be anything but straightforward in the lashing Lisbon rain. Two big chances came for Arsenal in quick succession as a Noni Madueke corner curled against the crossbar and Martin Odegaard then drove the loose ball wide.

For all their forward intent, most promisingly through Madueke down the right, it was not until nearly half-time that Odegaard forced a relatively comfortable save from Rui Silva.

That stop was not a patch on the save of the season by David Raya less than ten minutes in. Ousmane Diomande split the Arsenal defence with a curled pass using the outside of his right foot and Maxi Araujo ran on to strike a thunderous shot which Raya somehow tipped onto his crossbar. Blink and you would have missed a save that defied logic.

Arsenal look far more solid with Raya rather than his deputy Kepa, who was selected for the preceding two cup defeats. The Arsenal No.1 made another important save late on to underline the gulf between the two keepers.

Sporting left back Araujo was a regular menace when getting forward against Ben White, whipping another shot just over the bar.

A goalless half-time scoreline is one Arsenal would have settled for at the end of the match, but they showed more ambition after the break. They had more of the ball and made attacking substitutions to try and force a win. Martin Zubimendi even had the ball in the net and the ‘goal’ had long been celebrated before Viktor Gyokeres was ruled offside in the build-up.

Then, when least expected, came the late goal to send the 2,500 travelling Arsenal fans tucked high up — and out of the rain — home with something to sing about.

Arteta’s side are in a commanding position in the Premier League and now favourites to progress to the last four of the competition they most craved this season. They host Bournemouth in Saturday’s early kick-off and confidence can only have been boosted by this hard-working, professional performance.

Another win on Saturday and who is to say Arsenal will not be flying by the time Sporting come to London for next Wednesday’s second leg? The fixture after that is Manchester City away in what could be a title decider.

A small tension creeps into the fingers just typing those matches. Imagine how Arteta, his players, and their supporters feel having to live and breathe this final run every waking moment.

SPORTING: Rui Silva 6, Morita 6, Pedro Goncalves 6 (Rafael Nel 79), Catamo 6, Trincao 6, Arauji 6, Fresneda 6, Goncalo Inacio 7, Diomande 7, John Simoes 6 (Braganca 62), Suarez 6.

ARSENAL: Raya 8, White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Calafiori 6, Zubimendi 6, Rice 6, Odegaard 6 (Havertz 70), Trossard 6 (Martinelli 76), Madueke 7 (Dowman 76), Gyokeres 6.

Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER) 7.