As it happened: Arsenal pay the penalty for missed chances as Sporting advance to the quarterfinals

UEL As it happened: Arsenal pay the penalty for missed chances as Sporting advance to the quarterfinals

Ayoola Kelechi 20:07 - 16.03.2023

Pedro Goncalves' screamer cancelled out Granit Xhaka's opener to send the tie into extra time

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  • FT Thoughts (ARSENAL 3-5 SPORTING CP). Sporting became only the second Portuguese side to win away to Arsenal after a well-deserved penalty victory.
  • The win sends them into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League as Portugal's only representative in the competition.
  • The win was also Sporting CP's first positive result away to an English team since they won at Middlesbrough in the 2004/2005 season of the UEFA Cup 
  • Arsenal have now lost each of their last three European knockout games played at the Emirates after being eliminated by Sporting CP
  • More striking than the European elimination for Arsenal will be the injuries to Tomiyasu, Saliba and possibly Jesus who are all key players in the Gunner's title challenge
  • Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard on Sporting CP loss: "We win and lose together. It doesn't matter. When we're winning everyone is happy, when we lose we have to pick up the spirit. We win and lose together"
  • Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta on Sporting loss: "We just have to look at ourselves and why we were not good enough to go through. We congratulate Sporting and now we have 11 games. Our next game with Palace is a final. Every work we do right now has to be towards Palace and we have to be better than in this game."

See what people are saying about #ARSSCP

See what people said about Pedro Goncalves' screamer

  • Sporting CP earn a famous victory and advance 5-3 on penalties in London, and here is a video of the leaking Emirates roof again to go hand-in-hand with the leaking eyes of Arsenal fans as they exit the UEL.

GAME OVER Nuno Santos scores from the spot to give Sporting CP the WIN at the Emirates

🚩 MISS! Gabriel Martinelli is denied from the spot and Sporting have the chance to win it 

⚽ Arthur Gomes steps up for Sporting and scores to make it 4-3 on penalties

⚽ Trossard scores to make it 3-3 in the shootout

⚽ Goncalo Inacio scores to put Sporting back in front

⚽ Bukayo Saka pulls Arsenal level. 2-1

⚽ Ricardo Esagio scores from the spot for Sporting to make it 2-1

⚽ Martin Odegaard steps up first for Arsenal and scores to make it 1-1

⚽ St Juste steps up first for Sporting and scores to make it 1-0 on penalties

  • We are all set for penalties as Sporting are set to go first at the end of the stadium with their fans
  • 120+1 FULL TIME and we are going to penalties at the  Emirates. Arsenal 1(3)-1(3) Sporting CP
  • 118' RED CARD Sporting CP as defender Manuel Ugarte receives a second yellow card for an awful challenge on Saka
  • 117' Sporting CP living on the edge as Adan is forced into two incredible saves. 
  • Antonio Adan has seven penalty saves from 42 penalties faced, while Aaron Ramsdale has eight from 31 faced. Yet it is Arsenal trying to find the winner. 
  • 115' Arsenal continue to press for a winner, but Sporting seems to be standing strong hoping that Antonio Adan can save them in the penalty shootout as he has done for much of the match already. 
  • 110' Sporting appear to be playing for a penalty shootout and have rarely ventured into the Arsenal area, taking only one shot in extra time so far, compared to Arsenal's four. 
  • 106' Arsenal start the second half of extra time with verve as Partey fires the first shot of the second period after only 16 seconds.
  • 106' SECOND HALF OF EXTRA TIME KICK OFF 
  • 105+2. END OF THE FIRST HALF OF EXTRA TIME. It is still Arsenal 1(3)-1(3) Sporting CP
  • 105+1 Arsenal go close again, as Rob Holding sees his header go just over the bar after Saka's corner kick. 
  • 105' Sporting CP with another change to bring on fresh legs as Tincao is replaced by Arthur
  • 105' The Emirates stadium is bouncing again (luckily not floating) as Arsenal turn the screw against Sporting CP. 
  • 101' Arsenal make their sixth and final substitution with Martin Odegaard coming on for Fabio Vieira 
  • 97' BIG CHANCE FOR ARSENAL as Trossard takes advantage of Essugo's error but is denied by an outrageous save by Adan who is earning twice his paycheck tonight for Sporting CP
  • 95' Sporting CP have switched up their approach and are allowing Arsenal to control possession and attack  hoping to spring a counter-attack
  • 93' Sporting make two more substitutions as Nuno Santos and Dario Essugo come on for the duration of extra-time
  • 91' Extra time first half kicks off as we go again for 30 minutes or more to decide this enthralling tie. Still Arsenal 1-1 Sporting CP on the night. 
  • 90+4' It is FULL TIME in normal time at the Emirates, Arsenal 1(3)-1(3) Sporting CP and we will now go to extra-time
  • 90+2' Arsenal finally finding some urgency but it comes to nought eventually as the best they can get is a corner kick for their troubles.
  • 90' Sporting make their first change of the night as 18-year-old Youssef Chermiti replaces Paulinho
  • 85' Arsenal with their first threatening moment of the second half as Saka sends a cross into the area, the Gunners are asking for a penalty for a handball, but it turns out Saka was offside in the build-up
  • Well well well, a leak in the Emirates stadium roof, causing rain to pour down on fans at the emirates. I can't wait for Arsenal to lose so we can say this was caused by the tears of Arsenal fans.
  • 80' Second half possession Arsenal 41% - 59% Sporting CP. We ARE at the Emirates stadium don't forget. 
  • At the moment, with the 1-1 scoreline on the night, and 3-3 scoreline on aggregate, the tie is going to extra-time since the away goal rule, which would have seen Arsenal qualify is no more
  • 75' We have now seen 30 minutes of second-half action, and Arsenal are yet to register a shot. Sporting have fired six.
  • 72' ANOTHER BIG CHANCE FOR SPORTING CP as Marcus Edwards forces Aaron Ramsdale into his first save of the match, smashing a shot into the goalkeeper's face. 

By the way, what a goal from Pedro Goncalves! The first Arsenal have conceded at the Emirates, and Sporting's first shot on target tonight. All the way from 46 yards out, with an xG of 0.03. 

  • 66' Sporting have Arsenal on the ropes and Arteta has responded by bringing on Thomas Partey and Bukayo Saka
  • 65' Sporting almost take the lead as Paulinho sees his header scrape the top of the cross-bar. 
  • PEDRO GONCALVES produces arguably the goal of the tournament  from the half-way line to draw Sporting CP level

⚽ 62' GOAL SPORTING LISBON ARSENAL 1(3) - 1(3) SPORTING CP. 

  • 55' Despite Sporting having more attempts (8) than Arsenal (5), the Portugues side are still yet to test Aaron Ramsdale with a shot on target, while Arsenal have been on target with all their attempts. #ARSSCP
  • 51' Sporting CP are still on top of Arsenal so far this second period, but they are still struggling to find a way into the Gunners' penalty area. #ARSSCP
  • 48' Sporting have started the second half, much like they did the first and threaten Arsenal with Pedro Gonçalves' shot just clearing the cross bar.  #ARSSCP
  • Arsenal made a third change at the break with Leandro Trossard replacing Gabriel Jesus. Hopefully not another injury. 
  • 46' SECOND HALF KICK_OFF ARSENAL 1(3) - 0(2) SPORTING CP
  • And what a season Arsenal are having in Europe 
  • What a season Xhaka is having. #ARSSCP
  • As expected, the sides go into the break with the scores at 1-0 to Arsenal after a frantic start and a calmer end to the first half
  • 45+4 HALF TIME ARSENAL 1(3)-0(2) SPORTING 
  • 44' Sporting look to end the half on a high, but Arsenal at the moment look like they could keep a clean sheet in a seedy motel. #ARSSCP
  • 40' While we wait for something to happen before half-time (don't hold your breath), here are some Xhaka stats to enjoy. 
  • 37' The game has slowed down now as both teams, start to power down ahead of the halftime break, but Arsenal are still in control of proceedings, with 53% of the ball so far
  • Arsenal will be happy with the scoreline o far, as the Gunners have kept clean sheets in five of their last six fixtures at home against Portuguese sides. If they manage to extend that record against Sporting today, they will certainly qualify. #ARSSCP
  • 30' Another big chance for the gunners as they continue to hold Sporting CP by the neck. Gabriel Jesus slaloms through the Sporting defence, only to be denied by the outstretched hand of Adan
  • 25' Arsenal have been by far the better side since the goal, despite the disruptions caused by the injuries to Tomiyasu and Saliba. #ARSSCP
  • Two injuries to two key players will have Mikel Arteta sweating ahead of the Premier League title run-in. So much for the "injury-free" squad that Erik Ten Hag said he was jealous of.

🤕 21' Arsenal's goal has come with some misfortune as centre-back William Saliba has been forced off with an injury and is being replaced by Rob Holding

  • Arsenal's captain with his first goal in the UEL this season 

⚽ 19' GOAL ARSENAL. The Gunners make it 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate thanks to the captain for the night GRANIT XHAKA

  • 16' Just as I say that Arsenal get the biggest chance of the game so far with Gabriel Jesus finding space in the box to test Antonio Adan in goal for Sporting
  • The shot on goal was not a fluke as Sporting have been on the ascendancy from the starting whistle, and they have looked more threatening than their hosts. 
  • 13' We finally have the first shot of the match and it has come from Sporting CP's Francisco Trincao as the ex-Barcelona man dodges a challenge and fires narrowly wide

🤕 09' Early trouble for Arsenal as right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu is taken off injured and replaced by Ben White 

  • 05' The home team play from left to right and will be hoping they can secure another victory over a Portuguese side after knocking Sporting's fierce rivals, Benfica out of the UEL in the round of 32 stage in the 2021/22 season. 
  • 00' KICK OFF at the Emirates as Arsenal and Sporting CP resume hostilities 
  • Arsenal's Mikel Arteta said his team would be looking to "do the same" as they did in Lisbon while also imploring his players to "do better" than they did last week in order to secure a win. 
  • Speaking ahead of the game, Sporting CP's manager, Ruben Amorim, described the upcoming match as "difficult" but also says his side "always want to win, regardless of who we are facing"
  • The sides have met three times in competitive fixtures so far, with Arsenal winning once, in their first meeting, while Sporting CP is yet to get a win following consecutive draws. 
  • For good measure, here is another throwback to the first time that Arsenal and Sporting CP met in a competitive fixture as well, with a certain Bruno Fernandes appearing for the Portuguese side. 
  • Throwback to the last time that Arsenal and Sporting CP faced off. 
  • Sporting have also named an equally strong starting XI 
  • The Gunners' starting line up for the clash with Sporting
  • Despite injury absences, Arsenal have named a strong starting line up including Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, who just returned from a three-month injury lay-off. 
  • Welcome to our live blog as Arsenal and Sporting CP navigate a tricky UEFA Europa League second leg tie at the Emirates after playing out a 2-2 draw in the first leg
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