Sporting – Arsenal
Struck by recent setbacks in England, Arsenal is diving back into the Champions League representing the pain of a wounded beast, this Tuesday in Lisbon against Sporting, the former club of their chief marksman, Viktor Györkeres. The Gunners impressed Europe up until March, but then their winning machine faltered at the worst moment with two defeats (out of five total) suffered just before this first leg quarter-final in Portugal.
Over a two-week period, the Londoners let slip the League Cup final against Manchester City, followed by an even more brutal exit from the FA Cup against a second-division team (Southampton) in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Their dream of a quadruple vanished as the Premier League leader saw their old demons resurface: those of a team often well-placed but unable to win a major trophy since 2020.
“It’s not the time to keep your head down”
“They must avoid letting the season slip away,” noted their former striker, Theo Walcott, on BBC. “Arsenal have been too good this season to let it all slip, whether in the Premier League or the Champions League,” added former English international Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports. “They have been exceptional, but they must finish the job!”
Arsenal hopes to set things straight at the Jos� Alvalade Stadium, where Sporting has won all five of their European matches this season. “It’s not the time to keep your head down for too long,” said midfielder Christian Norgaard after the rout at Southampton. “We need to look in the mirror, accept the situation, and go to Portugal with clear ideas, enjoying the opportunity to be there,” also stated Mikel Arteta.
The pressure is even greater for the Spanish coach as he acquired valuable reinforcements last summer to fuel his quest for trophies, from defense (Hincapie, Mosquera, Kepa as goalkeeper 2) to attack (Madueke, Eze), including the midfield (Norgaard, Zubimendi). Arsenal notably paid €76 million, including bonuses, to Sporting to snatch their center-forward Viktor Györkeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances in the green and white shirt. After a slow start, the 27-year-old Swede found his place and regained his killer instinct with the Gunners.
Sporting relies on Suarez
His successor at Sporting, Colombian Luis Suarez, managed to step up with 33 goals in 42 matches this season across all competitions. The former Marseille striker (half a season in 2022) has become a key figure for the Lions, a nickname he had tattooed on his left shoulder long before joining the Lisbon club.
The 28-year-old player leads the league’s scoring charts and scored in the last three home Champions League matches against Bruges, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bodo/Glimt in the return leg (5-0 after extra time, following a 3-0 loss in Norway). Stopping him is crucial for Arsenal if they want to dispel their doubts and reach the semifinals.
This Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 9 p.m. on Canal+ Sport.
