The Gunners have so far dominated Europe (nine wins in ten matches), especially at home, and remain credible favorites for the final victory. The path to the semifinals of the competition seems clear after the first leg quarter-final victory 1-0 in Lisbon thanks to substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, with Havertz scoring the winning goal in stoppage time.
However, setbacks over the past three weeks nationally have dampened the mood and momentum of the Londoners. There was the lost League Cup final against Manchester City, elimination from the FA Cup by a second division team (Southampton), and a disappointing loss in the Premier League to Bournemouth at home.
The quarterfinal takes a back seat
Three defeats in four matches signal a stark contrast to the previous 49 games this season, and this unfortunate streak comes at the worst time when dreams of titles are either solidified or shattered. In England, the focus has shifted away from the Sporting fixture to discussions around the upcoming “final” for the league title against Manchester City on Sunday.
“They have a midweek match in the Champions League, which could actually be useful for them. If Arsenal had a whole week to think about this match (against City), I don’t think it would help them at all. They might gain confidence by qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals,” noted Gary Neville, former Manchester United player, on his podcast.
Gyökeres under close scrutiny
Reaching the semifinals for the second consecutive time does not seem like an easy task against Sporting, who have a unique opportunity to make history in the UK. The green and white club has never reached a semi-final in the top European competition. Their best performance so far was a quarter-final loss to Real Sociedad in 1983.
The Lions showed in the first leg that they were able to largely contain the Gunners’ offensive power, particularly the threat posed by Viktor Gyökeres, their former sharpshooter who left last summer after two impressive seasons (97 goals in 102 appearances). The Swedish striker is now showing his full potential, with 18 goals already this season.
