Late Havertz goal earns Arsenal slim advantage over Sporting | OneFootball

Kai Havertz came off the bench to snatch a crucial first-leg win for Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting in Lisbon.

The Germany international poked home a late winner, giving Mikel Arteta’s side a narrow 1-0 advantage ahead of next week’s return leg at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had endured a nervy start, with David Raya called into action inside the opening five minutes to tip Maxi Araujo’s fierce strike onto the crossbar following a defence-splitting pass from Ousmane Diomande.

Sporting continued to threaten on the counter, forcing Raya into a string of excellent saves late in the second half, including a stunning double stop to deny Geny Catamo and Luis Suárez.

Arsenal thought they had taken the lead through Martin Zubimendi midway through the second half, only for VAR to rule out the goal due to Viktor Gyökeres being offside in the build-up. Until then, the Premier League leaders had dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Noni Madueke’s direct corner effort hitting the crossbar as the closest attempt.

The breakthrough eventually came in stoppage time when Gabriel Martinelli, also a second-half substitute, delivered a precise pass to Havertz, who calmly poked the ball past Rui Silva. 

With this narrow lead secured in Portugal, Arteta will hope to guide his side into the semi-finals for a second consecutive season as they return to Premier League action against Bournemouth at the weekend.