Sporting captain slams 'boring' Arsenal time-wasting at set-pieces

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Evening Standard

·16 aprile 2026

Sporting captain slams 'boring' Arsenal time-wasting at set-pieces

Morten Hjulmand frustrated at Gunners’ delaying tactics during 0-0 draw

Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand has criticised Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics after their “boring” Champions League stalemate last night.

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Arsenal have progressed to successive Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history, holding on to secure a 1-0 aggregate win over Sporting at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz’s late goal in last week’s reverse fixture had put Arsenal in control heading into the second leg, but they were made to work hard to seal their place in the semi-finals as Sporting hit the post on a nervy night in north London.

Sporting were made to rue several missed chances, and asked if the best team on the night had progressed, Hjulmand said: “I think it was an even game.

“The impact of the first game, that we lost, made it more difficult to go to the Emirates and win, especially when we don’t often lose at home. We knew it would be difficult here.

The game had low intensity and no rhythm, zero goals, and I would say boring

Morten Hjulmand

“But the game had low intensity and no rhythm, zero goals, and I would say boring.”

Hjulmand was pressed on why he thought the game lacked fluency and added: “I think a lot stops during the game, so we couldn’t get the rhythm that we wanted to. A little bit boring.

“If I was a viewer from outside 0-0, also the first game 1-0 it’s not the way Sporting wants to show itself. We want to score goals, create chances and we didn’t do it.

“During the game I felt a lot of stops, especially during set-pieces and it takes a lot of time out of the game.

“When we did get the rhythm, we did create a lot of chances, especially in the first half. But at the end, we didn’t create enough to win the game, to be honest.”

Asked about his team’s performance, Sporting head coach Rui Borges praised the “character and personality” of his players and said they deserved more from the tie.

"The word 'proud' is the right word for all the players for what they have done for these two games,” he told reporters.

"I thought we deserved more and potentially extra time. The character and the personality to fight one of the best teams in Europe was amazing.

"We had the best opportunities and Arsenal didn't create that much in our penalty area, here and in Lisbon."