Mikel Arteta wanted this to be a “special night”, but instead it was a costly and painful one. Arsenal are out of the Europa League after Sporting beat them on penalties, and this was the worst way to lose.
By the end, Arteta’s side resembled the walking wounded, and any hope of resting players for the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday were long gone. That was already a huge game but the importance of it has increased. Arsenal’s only focus is now the title and the perfect way to bounce back from defeat last night is to beat Palace and go eight points clear of Manchester City.
