Arsenal snatched a precious victory on Tuesday evening at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon: 1-0 against Sporting CP in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, thanks to a goal from Kai Havertz in the 91st minute. A cruel scenario for the Lisbon side, who dominated much of the match and hit the crossbar through Maxi Araújo in the first half. The Gunners had seen a goal from Martín Zubimendi disallowed for offside in the second half. It was finally in stoppage time that the German striker emerged to give his team a decisive advantage before the return leg at the Emirates Stadium. (
This success comes at the perfect time for Mikel Arteta and his players. In the Premier League, Arsenal are going through a difficult period, with only one win in their last three league matches. Pressure was mounting on the Spanish coach, whose tactical choices were being questioned by the English press. This European victory, however narrow, gives a much-needed boost to a squad that needed a spark. 'This is exactly the kind of night that can change a season,' Arteta said at a press conference. (
On the Sporting side, disappointment is immense. The Lions of Lisbon, spurred on by their 50,804 spectators at the José Alvalade, had more than enough to win. Their intense pressing in the first half unsettled Arsenal, and Maxi Araújo's shot hitting the woodwork remains the symbol of an evening where only a touch of luck was missing. Coach Rúben Amorim felt his team deserved 'at least a draw' and reminded that 'everything will be decided in the return leg.' The second-leg quarter-final will take place on April 15th in London. (
In other quarter-final matches played this week, the results also held surprises. PSG hosted Aston Villa in Paris, while FC Barcelona faced Borussia Dortmund. The 2025-2026 Champions League season confirms a renewal of forces, with clubs like Aston Villa and Sporting disrupting the established hierarchy. The competition's new format, with its expanded league phase, has contributed to leveling the playing field and offering unprecedented matchups at this stage of the competition. (
For Arsenal, the stakes are twofold: winning the Champions League would be the club's first major European title since 2006, when the Gunners reached the final (lost against FC Barcelona). The Saka-Rice-Havertz generation embodies an ambitious sporting project, funded by hundreds of millions of pounds in investment by Stan Kroenke. But the road is still long: they will first have to manage the return leg against a wounded and dangerous Sporting side, and then face the winner of the other semi-final. In modern football, an away goal and a one-goal advantage is anything but a guarantee. (
