Arsenal’s slender aggregate win to reach the Champions League semifinals for the second year running was described by Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand as “a little bit boring.”
Overall, it was an attritional, rather than attractive, victory for the Gunners over two matches. Mikel Arteta’s team picked up a narrow 1–0 victory in Lisbon in the first leg, leaning heavily on goalkeeper David Raya before striking late through Kai Havertz to inflict a rare home defeat on Sporting.
