Substitute Kai Havertz scored a dramatic 91st-minute winner as Arsenal beat Sporting CP 1-0 in Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
The game had been a tense, low-risk affair with few clear chances until the dying moments. Gabriel Martinelli, also introduced from the bench, cut in from the left and clipped a delicate ball over Sporting’s backline. Havertz controlled with one touch and finished calmly past the goalkeeper.
Until that point, Arsenal had struggled to break down their Portuguese hosts. Mikel Arteta’s side looked solid at the back, with returning goalkeeper David Raya making several important saves, but the attack lacked sharpness. Leandro Trossard and Noni Madueke failed to make a significant impact.
Arteta attempted to change the game in the closing stages, even sending on 16-year-old Max Dowman, but nothing worked until Havertz’s late intervention.
The German forward, who scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, once again proved his big-game credentials.
The result puts Arsenal in control ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium, where they will look to finish the job and advance to the semi-finals.
