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#Champions #League #Arsenal #sails #Sporting #set #semifinal #Atletico #Madrid">Champions League — Arsenal sails past Sporting to set up semifinal against Atletico Madrid It’s back-to-back Champions League semifinals for Arsenal.
A 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday saw Arsenal advance 1-0 on aggregate to set up a clash with Atletico Madrid in the last four of European club soccer’s top competition.
“To go back-to-back is an amazing achievement for this group,” Declan Rice told TNT Sports. “We want to now go one step further than last year and get to the final.”
A Premier League and Champions League double remains possible for Mikel Arteta’s team, despite a slump in form in recent weeks.
Arsenal has never won the European Cup and only once reached the final. But it is now just two games away from this year’s showpiece in Budapest, Hungary.
Kai Havertz’s late winner in the first leg of the quarterfinals in Portugal last week proved to be decisive as Sporting failed to find a breakthrough in London.
It is the fourth time Arsenal has advanced to the semifinals and the first time it has gone back-to-back having lost to eventual winner Paris Saint-Germain at that stage last season.
“To be part of those (final) four teams, it’s something very special,” Arteta said. “It comes down to making the last step. We are making the steps that haven’t been done in this club for 140 years, so players deserve credit for what they’re doing.”
The result was the perfect way for Arsenal to start a crucial week in which it also plays Premier League title rival Manchester City on Sunday.
There have been signs of the tension getting to Arteta’s players as the season enters the closing stages, having lost the English League Cup final against City and then crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of second-division Southampton.
Defeat at home in the league against Bournemouth last weekend only added to the sense that it was faltering at a critical time.
“Who cares what people think? All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks and we’re in another semifinal,” Rice said. “Bring on the last few weeks. It’s a roller coaster, no one’s going to hand you anything in this game, so just keep going and, what will be will be.”
It was another tight encounter between Arsenal and Sporting with chances rare.
Substitute Leandro Trossard came closest to winning it for Arsenal on the night by heading against the post late on. Geny Catamo had hit the woodwork for Sporting in the first half.
Arsenal and Atletico have already faced each other in the Champions League this season, with the English club winning 4-0 in the league phase.
Published on Apr 16, 2026
It’s back-to-back Champions League semifinals for Arsenal.A 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates…
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#UEFA #Champions #League #Rice #misses #training #add #Arsenal #injury #concerns #ahead #Sporting #clash">UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Rice misses training to add to Arsenal injury concerns ahead of Sporting clash
Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of its Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting Lisbon after missing the club’s open training session Tuesday.
Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan but returned for Arsenal’s match against Sporting in Lisbon last week. He was also the stand-in captain for the table-topping Gunners’ shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.
But the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.
Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.
Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.
Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.
It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.
Published on Apr 14, 2026
Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of its Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting Lisbon after missing the club’s open training session Tuesday.
Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan but returned for Arsenal’s match against Sporting in Lisbon last week. He was also the stand-in captain for the table-topping Gunners’ shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.
But the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.
Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.
Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.
Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.
It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.
Published on Apr 14, 2026
Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of…
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#Champions #League #Havertzs #stoppagetime #winner #Arsenal #slender #lead #quarterfinals">Champions League: Havertz’s stoppage-time winner gives Arsenal a slender lead in quarterfinals
Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The Germany forward was found unmarked inside the box by Gabriel Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a tactical encounter.
After a first half in which Sporting’s Maxi Araujo and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the visiting side had a Martin Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny the home side.
The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the injured Martin Odegaard in the 70th minute, to secure the advantage before the return leg next week.
“Beautiful and that’s the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime regarding the winner.
“We had a goal disallowed, and there were two or three occasions where we were close, but we lacked that final pass. In the end, a magic moment from the finishers wins us the game.”
The winner of the tie will face Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, which play at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, in the semifinals.
ARSENAL REDEMPTION
Arsenal arrived in Lisbon seeking to bounce back from Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal exit at second-tier Southampton, and will be delighted with the win, but the sight of captain Odegaard limping off will concern Arteta.
The Norway midfielder appeared to struggle throughout the match, having recently returned from a long-term injury layoff.
The first half was a cagey affair, with the woodwork denying both sides an opening goal. Araujo came close for the hosts, seeing his powerful left-foot strike rebound off the post following a break into the box in the opening minutes.
However, Arsenal grew into the contest and nearly led through Madueke. The winger rose to meet an outswinging corner, but his header clipped the bar with Silva beaten.
Despite the near misses, both teams struggled to find a consistent rhythm, with the tie remaining finely balanced heading into the second half.
Arsenal thought it had the breakthrough shortly after the hour when Zubimendi curled the ball into the net at the near post, but it was ruled out after a VAR review found former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres to be offside in the build-up.
RAYA WINS PLAYER OF THE MATCH
With the host dominating the latter stages, Raya was forced into several crucial interventions, including a diving save to divert Geny Catamo’s low header behind for a corner, with the Spaniard’s performance earning the Player of the Match award.
“It’s something that I’m there for. I’m trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball,” Raya said.
The match seemed headed for a draw until a late lapse from the Sporting defence gave Havertz the space to control the ball and find a clinical finish to put Arsenal in the driving seat.
The result marks a return to winning ways for Arsenal following consecutive defeats, including its FA Cup exit and defeat by Manchester City in the League Cup final.
“We’ve come from two losses, learn from those moments, that pain when you lose a game” Raya added.
“Use that pain in the belly to go out there and express yourself, be yourself and try to be better every single day. That’s the main message we have to send out there.”
Premier League leader Arsenal will try to keep up the momentum when it hosts Bournemouth on Saturday.
Published on Apr 08, 2026
Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The Germany forward was found unmarked inside the box by Gabriel Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a tactical encounter.
After a first half in which Sporting’s Maxi Araujo and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the visiting side had a Martin Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny the home side.
The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the injured Martin Odegaard in the 70th minute, to secure the advantage before the return leg next week.
“Beautiful and that’s the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime regarding the winner.
“We had a goal disallowed, and there were two or three occasions where we were close, but we lacked that final pass. In the end, a magic moment from the finishers wins us the game.”
The winner of the tie will face Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, which play at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, in the semifinals.
ARSENAL REDEMPTION
Arsenal arrived in Lisbon seeking to bounce back from Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal exit at second-tier Southampton, and will be delighted with the win, but the sight of captain Odegaard limping off will concern Arteta.
The Norway midfielder appeared to struggle throughout the match, having recently returned from a long-term injury layoff.
The first half was a cagey affair, with the woodwork denying both sides an opening goal. Araujo came close for the hosts, seeing his powerful left-foot strike rebound off the post following a break into the box in the opening minutes.
However, Arsenal grew into the contest and nearly led through Madueke. The winger rose to meet an outswinging corner, but his header clipped the bar with Silva beaten.
Despite the near misses, both teams struggled to find a consistent rhythm, with the tie remaining finely balanced heading into the second half.
Arsenal thought it had the breakthrough shortly after the hour when Zubimendi curled the ball into the net at the near post, but it was ruled out after a VAR review found former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres to be offside in the build-up.
RAYA WINS PLAYER OF THE MATCH
With the host dominating the latter stages, Raya was forced into several crucial interventions, including a diving save to divert Geny Catamo’s low header behind for a corner, with the Spaniard’s performance earning the Player of the Match award.
“It’s something that I’m there for. I’m trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball,” Raya said.
The match seemed headed for a draw until a late lapse from the Sporting defence gave Havertz the space to control the ball and find a clinical finish to put Arsenal in the driving seat.
The result marks a return to winning ways for Arsenal following consecutive defeats, including its FA Cup exit and defeat by Manchester City in the League Cup final.
“We’ve come from two losses, learn from those moments, that pain when you lose a game” Raya added.
“Use that pain in the belly to go out there and express yourself, be yourself and try to be better every single day. That’s the main message we have to send out there.”
Premier League leader Arsenal will try to keep up the momentum when it hosts Bournemouth on Saturday.
Published on Apr 08, 2026
Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting…
