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Havertz strikes late as Arsenal steal Champions League advantage ...
Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium rocked by successive defeats against Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.Once again, the Gunners were below their best but they emerged with the win thanks to David Raya's fine saves and Havertz's clinical finish in stoppage-time.Arsenal will be firm favourites to advance to the semi-finals in the second leg in north London on April 15, but they will have to improve significantly to win the tournament for the first time. Those agonising losses to City and second-tier Southampton marked the first time that Arsenal had been beaten in successive matches this term, with the embarrassing FA Cup defeat just the Gunners' fifth of the season.The after-shocks were still being felt as Arsenal struggled to find any momentum in Lisbon, but not for the first time this season they found a way to win ugly."We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block," Arteta said. "We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass. In the end a magic moment from the finishers win us the game."It's beautiful and that's the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight."Praising the outstanding Raya, Arteta added: "He had two moments where he made two big saves. "At the moment he's phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him."Aiming to finally banish accusations that they are English football's nearly men by winning their first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, Arsenal have faced pointed questions about their perceived lack of mental strength.Grinding out the win in Lisbon was a suitable riposte to the critics.Insisting his players were "hungrier than ever", Arteta had urged Arsenal to use the "pain" of their recent defeats as motivation and they rose to the challenge.Sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Premier League leaders are also on course for their first title in 22 years.Playing in the last eight for the first time since 1983, Sporting's 17-game winning run at home made them dangerous opponents for Arsenal.Super subsInjury-hit Arsenal were still without Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, although Declan Rice returned after missing the Southampton game and England's recent friendlies.Raya was...
Champions League: Havertz and Raya star in win for Arsenal
Substitute Havertz scores late goal to give the Gunners the advantage against Sporting David Coverdale reviews Tuesday's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, first-leg tie featuring Arsenal. Sporting 0-1 Arsenal David Raya was Arsenal’s saviour once again, producing a series of phenomenal saves before they stole all three points against Sporting Lisbon with a stoppage-time winner.The result puts Arsenal in pole position in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final and steadies rising nerves after a night in which Sporting dominated for long stretches, losing for the first time at home in 17 games to Kai Havertz’s late goal.Nobody could have known in the sixth minute how decisive Raya’s first major intervention would prove to be.Ousmane Diomande’s outside-of-the-boot long pass caught out the Arsenal defence and Maxi Araujo struck a first-time shot exceptionally well, but Raya’s fingertips diverted the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and it bounced back out. Raya's saves turn the tide for Arsenal “It’s an unbelievable touch,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime. “And it was early in the match – it could have changed the tie.”The Arsenal goalkeeper has conceded only 12 Champions League goals since the start of last season and Opta estimate he has prevented more goals from key shots than any other goalkeeper in that period.For a side bruised by an FA Cup defeat to Southampton at the weekend, following the EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City before the international break, it was a crucial intervention.“This was a big turnaround for us,” Havertz told Amazon Prime. “We lost the last two matches. We wanted to get a turnaround today and we made that happen. We stick together as a group and there’s so much more to come this season.”Raya has produced a string of incredible saves at vital moments throughout the season as he cements his status among the world’s best goalkeepers.Havertz went further, insisting Raya is “underestimated in the world of football” and calling him “the best keeper in the world” over the past two seasons. “He's outstanding, he's saved us so many times and we're very glad to have him,” he added. Arteta agreed with the assessment. After he pushed a curling cross from Alejandro Garnacho around the post in stoppage-time to preserve a lead against Chelsea last month Arteta admitted: “My heart almost stopped, but David’s hand was there to bring it back to life.”In December, he was at full stretch to tip Brighton & Hove Albion ...
Arsenal beat Sporting with late Havertz goal in Champions League ...
Kai Havertz snatched a last-gasp winner as Arsenal bounced back from their domestic distress to steal a 1-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
Kai Havertz snatches late victory for Arsenal to take control against ...
Kai Havertz scored in the 91st minute to give Arsenal a 1-0 victory at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final
