A dramatic late winner has injected fresh belief into Arsenal’s season, with Kai Havertz claiming something "very special" is unfolding at the club.
His sentiment was echoed by goalkeeper David Raya, who declared himself "100 per cent" confident the Gunners can lift the Champions League trophy.
Havertz sealed a crucial 1-0 victory against Sporting Lisbon with a stoppage-time goal in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, providing Mikel Arteta’s side with a significant advantage ahead of next week’s return fixture at the Emirates.
The late triumph arrived at a pivotal moment for Arsenal, whose campaign had teetered on a knife edge following their first back-to-back defeats of the season. This hard-fought win now offers renewed hope that the club can avoid ending the season without silverware.
Reflecting on the turnaround, Havertz stated: "We needed that as we were all frustrated with how the last couple of weeks went. But now it’s time to move forward, it’s time to be positive and it’s time to all stick together.
“As a group – as players, staff and the fans – we’re all in this together and we still can make something happen this year. It can be something very special. That’s what we’re going to go for and now it’s time to win games."
Central to Arsenal’s first-leg success in Lisbon was an outstanding display from goalkeeper Raya. The Spain international, controversially benched for the club’s recent cup exits against Manchester City and Southampton, emphatically proved his worth.
He produced a stunning early save to thwart Maxi Araujo, followed by two more critical interventions before Havertz’s decisive strike.
Raya’s clean sheet marked his 22nd across 41 appearances this season, a tally four greater than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues.
Buoyed by this performance, the Spaniard expressed his conviction that Arsenal can not only reach a second successive Champions League semi-final – a club first – but also go on to win the competition.
"We believe 100 per cent that we can win it," Raya told Amazon Prime. "We have to go step-by-step and game-by-game and keep showing what we can do. We have to focus on the present, but we have full belief.
“If you don’t believe, you are never going to win it, so you have to keep believing no matter what you go through.
“We came from two losses, we had to learn from that and use the pain in our belly to express ourselves and be better every single day. That is really important and the message we have to send out there."
With momentum now on their side, Arsenal return to Premier League action at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.
A victory would offer the chance to extend their lead over Manchester City from nine to 12 points, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the following day.
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