Away from home, Arsenal had a tough match. The team escaped defeat after many dangerous attacks from the home team. In the 90+1 minute, Kai Havertz - who had come on as a substitute before - scored the only goal from Gabriel Martinelli's pass, helping Arsenal win the match 1-0. This result helped the Gunners open up a great opportunity to enter the semi-finals because the second leg they will play at home.
Sharing on the club's homepage, Havertz said: "My goal has 80% effort from Martinelli. I was only there to finish. It was a great assist from him, I saw him and he made a perfect pass, and it was a beautiful goal".
The German striker also praised the contribution of David Raya, who had an excellent performance, helping his team keep a clean sheet.
He said: "David Raya's performances are unbelievable. I still think people underestimate him in the football world, but in the past two years, I don't know, maybe he is the best goalkeeper in the world and we are all happy to have him here.
Winning against Sporting CP is the perfect way for Arsenal to recover after a 2-match losing streak against Man City (Carabao Cup final) and Southampton (FA Cup quarter-final). From having a chance to win the quadruple, Arsenal now only focuses on the Premier League - where they are 9 points ahead of Man City and the UEFA Champions League.
“We are all disappointed with what has happened in recent weeks. But it's time for us to unite, from players, staff to fans, to optimistically move forward.
We have the same goal and Arsenal can do something this year. In just seven weeks, we can win big titles and we will try our best to achieve that," Kai Havertz emphasized.
Meanwhile, coach Mikel Arteta expressed his joy that Arsenal has regained their identity after a difficult period. This is very important for the Gunners to play the final matches of the season, aiming to conquer titles in the Premier League as well as the Champions League.
