Mikel Arteta has hailed the “magic” impact of his substitutes after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli combined to snatch a dramatic 1-0 victory for Arsenal against Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter final first leg.
For 89 minutes, it looked like frustration. For 89 minutes, Sporting’s unbeaten home record stretching back to who knows when, appeared safe. Then Arteta turned to his bench.
Martinelli raced down the left. The cross was pinpoint. Havertz arrived at the back post. Game over. Cue bedlam in the away end.
“Very happy to win away from home in the quarter finals of the Champions League against a team that have not lost at home for I don’t know how long,” Arteta told Amazon Prime afterwards.
“I think the last time was probably in Europe as well, that shows the difficulty of it. In the end a magic moment from the finishers wins us the game. Beautiful.”
‘That’s the impact you need’
Arsenal had struggled to find any real rhythm in the final third. Martin Zubimendi saw a goal ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build up. The passes just would not stick. Sporting’s low block was doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Arteta admitted he feared the worst.
“Yes, because when we got into the final third we missed the final bit,” he replied when asked if he thought his side might not score.
“We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block. We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass.”
But the manager saved his warmest words for the two players who changed the game.
“Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight,” he said.
Raya the real hero
While Havertz and Martinelli will take the headlines, the real reason Arsenal are taking a lead back to the Emirates is standing between the sticks.
David Raya was sensational. A fingertip stop inside the first five minutes set the tone. There were more where that came from.
Havertz, speaking after the match, called him the “best keeper in the world” over the last two seasons. High praise. Deserved.
Arteta was equally effusive.
“He had two moments where he made two big saves. And that’s the Champions League,” the Arsenal boss said.
“The Champions League is always decided in the boxes because there’s so much quality here. At the moment he’s phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him.”
One foot in the semi finals
This victory could not have come at a better time.
Arsenal have had a rough few weeks domestically. Exits from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup had ramped up the pressure. The league form has been patchy. Questions were being asked.
Now, they are 90 minutes away from a Champions League semi final.
Sporting will travel to the Emirates knowing they need to score. Arsenal will have the home crowd behind them. And Arteta will have Havertz and Martinelli available from the start if he wants them.
The tie is not over. But Arsenal have one foot in the door. And after a night like this, that feels like plenty.
