The Gunners have a great chance to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League if they can maintain their advantage on aggregate as they welcome Sporting to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday with a place in the Champions League semi-finals in sight and the chance to reach the last four in consecutive seasons for the first time.
Mikel Arteta’s side take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg after leaving it late in Lisbon last week. Arsenal were kept quiet for long periods at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where they had scored five in the 2024-25 league phase, but David Raya proved decisive before substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz combined for a stoppage-time winner.
That result puts Arsenal firmly in control as they look to set up a semi-final against Atletico Madrid or Barcelona, with Atletico the likelier opponent. The Gunners have also won 17 of their last 18 European two-legged ties when taking an away first-leg lead, and are unbeaten in eight home matches against Portuguese opposition in Europe (W6 D2, excluding shootouts).
Domestic form, though, has raised fresh questions. A deserved 2-1 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend allowed Manchester City to close the gap at the top to six points with a game in hand, adding extra weight to Sunday’s looming trip to the Etihad. Arsenal have now lost three of their last four matches — as many defeats as they suffered in their first 49 games of the season.
Sporting arrive in better league shape, extending their winning run with a 1-0 success over Estrela Amadora thanks to Daniel Braganca’s fifth league goal of the campaign. Rui Borges’s side remain five points behind leaders Porto, who have played a game more, leaving the title out of Sporting’s hands — and with a derby against Benfica to come on Sunday, focus will still be required in London first.
History, however, is against the Portuguese visitors. Sporting have never overturned a one-goal first-leg home defeat in Europe, and have gone out in 13 of their last 14 two-legged ties after losing the first leg at home, their lone escape coming against Brondby in the 2010-11 Europa League playoffs.
Even so, Sporting will feel they can test an Arsenal side showing signs of fatigue, having created chances in the first leg — and Arsenal supporters will not have forgotten Sporting’s penalty-shootout win at the Emirates in the 2022-23 Europa League last 16.