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Arsenal complete bizarre training drills ahead of Champions League quarter final against Sporting Lisbon

Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time strike proved the difference as Arsenal snatched victory at the death to put them in the driving seat of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Sporting CP.

The first leg looked destined to end goalless after Martin Zubimendi saw a beautiful curling effort chalked off by VAR, with former Sporting talisman Viktor Gyokeres caught offside in the build-up.

But after David Raya kept the Portuguese side out at the other end, Havertz stealthily slipped through the middle of Sporting’s defence to latch onto a dinked ball by Gabriel Martinelli before slipping past Rui Silva.

Kai Havertz: Something ‘very special’ is happening at Arsenal

Kai Havertz believes something “very special” is happening at Arsenal after team-mate David Raya claimed he was “100 per cent” confident the Gunners could win the Champions League.

Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner against Sporting Lisbon to hand Arsenal a major advantage in their quarter-final clash ahead of next week’s return leg at the Emirates.

Following back-to-back defeats for the first time this season, Arsenal’s campaign was on a knife edge heading into Tuesday’s fixture at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.

Kai Havertz: Something ‘very special’ is happening at Arsenal

Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner against Sporting Lisbon to hand Arsenal a major advantage in their quarter-final clash.

Philip Duncan8 April 2026 10:43

Can Arsenal win the Champions League?

"We believe 100% that we can win it,” Raya said. “We go game by game and show what we can do. I think it is the first time in so many years that we play three quarter-finals in a row.

“So we just have to focus on the present, that's the most important thing, but of course we have full belief. If you don't believe then you're never going to win it."

Alan Smith8 April 2026 07:50