Sporting CP 1-5 Arsenal: Gunners dismantle Portuguese giants
Sporting CP 1-5 Arsenal: Gunners dismantle Portuguese giants. Arsenal were flawless in their performance during matchday 5 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday evening as they thumped Sporting CP 5-1 in the Champions League.
The Gunners wasted no time at all to establish their dominance in Lisbon, with Gabriel’s stoppage-time header in the first half adding to tap-ins from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz early on as the visitors put a lackadaisical Sporting side to the sword.
A mightily impressive first-half display followed and gave Arsenal the buffer they needed as Goncalo Inacio reduced the deficit, but Bukayo Saka’s penalty and Leandro Trossard’s header helped secured a comfortable and exceptional win for the north London outfit.
How the game unfolded:
Arsenal had been forewarned of Sporting’s quality following the Portuguese champions’ demolition of Manchester City before the international break, but the absence of now Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on the sidelines was always likely to have a sizeable impact on the home side.
Evidence of that was clear for all to see during the first half, as Arsenal took an early lead following a sluggish start from Sporting. Jurrien Timber’s excellent cross picked out Martinelli in the six-yard box and the Brazilian made no mistake when tapping home at the far post in the seventh minute.
Arsenal then doubled their lead midway through the first half. Thomas Partey’s incisive through ball released the fleet-footed Saka, who rolled across the penalty area for Havertz to tap in from close range. The Amorim-less Sporting simply couldn’t handle their English visitors.
Mikel Arteta’s side continued to smother Sporting with a well-organised press and they waltzed to a three-goal half-time lead. A trademark far-post corner was beautifully delivered by Declan Rice, allowing the unmarked Gabriel to put some deserved gloss on the scoreline with a powerful header.
Despite Sporting’s disastrous first half display, an early strike after the restart offered them a faint lifeline. Arsenal were the side undone by a corner on this occasion, with Premier League-linked Inacio flicking beyond David Raya at the near post.
However, Sporting failed to capitalise on the energy of the home crowd and Arsenal’s slight wobble after the break, with Ousmane Diomande’s late challenge on Martin Odegaard handing the visitors a penalty with 25 minutes to play. The characteristically clinical Saka made no mistake from the spot, firing low and hard beyond Franco Israel’s outstretched glove.
Morten Hjulmand threatened to revive Sporting once more with an inventive side-footed effort but it was Trossard who provided the final goal of the game in 82nd minute. Substitute Mikel Merino thumped an effort goalward from the edge of the box and Trossard was on hand to head home the rebound following Israel’s initial save.
The Belgian’s strike capped a glorious away display for the Gunners in what was their first Champions League victory on the road this term. The scoreline didn’t flatter Arsenal as they ran riot against a woeful Sporting side, rising up the table courtesy of a commanding triumph.
