Kai Havertz struck deep into stoppage time to hand Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon.
Coming off the bench in the second half, Havertz calmly finished past Rui Silva late in the game to give the Premier League leaders a slim edge ahead of the return leg at the Emirates Stadium next week.
Arsenal entered the match under pressure after suffering consecutive defeats for the first time this season, and their nerves were almost tested early on when Sporting’s Maxi Araujo smashed an effort against the crossbar following an excellent pass from Ousmane Diomande.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, the Gunners struggled to create clear opportunities. Their best chance came when Noni Madueke struck the crossbar directly from a corner.
Sporting remained dangerous on the counter and nearly capitalised when Araujo surged forward again and set up Francisco Trincao, who fired just wide.
Martin Zubimendi believed he had put Arsenal ahead in the second half with a curling effort from outside the box, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside involving former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres in the build-up.
The home side pushed hard in the closing stages, forcing David Raya into three crucial saves to keep the score level before Havertz delivered the decisive moment for Arsenal.
The win ends Arsenal’s two-game losing streak and provides a timely boost for Mikel Arteta’s team ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
