Arsenal travel to Portugal for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP with Mikel Arteta’s side looking to respond to back-to-back defeats.
The Gunners had been on to win a quadruple this season but that prospect has been firmly ended in just two games in the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup quarter-finals, leaving Arsenal with the two major prizes of the Champions League and Premier League titles to play for.
Arteta is also juggling injury concerns with plenty of key personnel, including Declan Rice and Gabriel, doubts for tonight’s match. The Gunners will hope to regain their winning form if they hope to alleviate the building pressure and claim silverware in 2026.
Standing in their way is a Sporting side that has performed well in the Champions League this year. They finished seventh in the group stage then eased past Bodo/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate despite losing the first leg away from home.
Follow all the action from the Champions League quarter-final with our live blog below:
Sporting vs Arsenal live
- Sporting host Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals
- Kick off is at 8pm, live on Amazon Prime Video
- Arsenal have lost consecutive matches for the first time this season
A knockout to remember
17:08 , Mike JonesSporting triumphed in the only knockout contest between these teams.
They won 5-3 on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the 2022/23 Europa League round of 16.
The energy of the stadium will be important
17:00 , Mike JonesSporting CP coach, Rui Borges, said: "We want to make our dreams reality and continue to make history for this great club.
“The energy of our stadium and our fans will be very important in creating a magical night. We can do something extraordinary with that."
How do the Arsenal players feel about Arteta?
16:54 , Mike JonesThere are some murmurings that Mikel Arteta’s job may be at risk if Arsenal fail to won silverware this year but the job of the manager is more than just winning trophies.
"He's been top,” says Noni Madueke when asked about his head coach.
“Very intense, very particular as well.
“I feel like he’s helped me in certain aspects in terms of being a bit more structured in my play, but has also let me be me.
“So, yeah, I think it’s been great so far."
Mikel Arteta, forcing his coolness, is feeling the burden of Arsenal’s now-failed quadruple bid
16:45 , Miguel DelaneyFor moments like Saturday’s surprise FA Cup defeat to Southampton, Mikel Arteta now has a set process. The Basque has even been witnessed privately forcing a changed facial expression before speaking to media or his players, to radiate a desired mood.
Arsenal’s many critics would quip he’s had to get used to such moments.
It is precisely because of such noise around the club, however, that Arteta seeks to immediately shape the responses. He knows criticism will already be scathing and any mockery will be, well, quadrupled, so there’s little need to make his players further dwell on that.
How Arteta is feeling the burden of Arsenal’s now-failed quadruple bid
Sporting v Arsenal
16:37 , Mike JonesArsenal are unbeaten in their five fixtures against Sporting (two wins, three draws), most recently winning 5-1 in Portugal on Matchday 5 last season.
Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard scored for the visitors, Goncalo Inácio getting Sporting's sole reply.
Arsenal's great start
16:30 , Mike JonesArsenal won all eight games in the league phase – the first team to achieve the feat under the new format.
They then beat Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 (3-1 on aggregate).
Sporting's route to last eight
16:22 , Mike JonesSporting reached the European Cup quarter-finals for only the second time with a memorable round of 16 comeback against Bodø/Glimt, overturning a 3-0 first-leg loss in Norway with a 5-0 extra-time victory in Lisbon.
Sporting had finished seventh in the league phase to progress to the round of 16 for the third time.
What has Mikel Arteta said?
16:14 , Mike JonesFollowing the defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup, the Arsenal manager explained how his team are going through a difficult period but will remain focused for the run-in to the end of the season.
“Really disappointed in the manner that we lost the opportunity to get back to Wembley,” said Arteta. “Someone has to take responsibility. That’s me and we have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us.
“This is the first moment that we have with a certain level of difficulty. We’re going to say difficulty when we’re going to play the Champions League quarter-finals and the run-up for the league.
“If this is a difficult period, I believe there are many other ones that are much more difficult, so let’s stand up, make yourself comfortable and deliver like we’ve been doing all season.”
Mikel Arteta takes responsibility for Arsenal’s shock FA Cup exit
16:07 , Mike JonesMikel Arteta took responsibility for Arsenal’s meek FA Cup quarter-final exit at Southampton as the Premier League leaders blew a glorious chance to return to Wembley.
A fortnight on from the disappointing Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, the absentee-hit Gunners lost to Championship opposition at a rocking St Mary’s on Saturday evening.
Mikel Arteta takes responsibility for Arsenal’s shock FA Cup exit to Southampton
Arsenal chasing connection with fans
16:00 , Mike JonesMadueke also spoke about the connection Arsenal’s players have with the fans and how he and his teammates are always chasing they feeling they get from the supporters when playing at home.
Madueke said: “When you're playing at home, you can kind of feel that you’ve got the crowd [with you] and they’re waiting on the next thing you do.
“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s something that you can’t really explain, and it’s something that you’re always chasing."
Madueke on staying motivated
15:52 , Mike JonesMore from the Arsenal winger who explained how he keeps himself motivated.
"My motivation, for sure, is to bring joy to the people I’m around, whether that’s with the ball at my feet or just in my life,” he said.
“My friends, my family, my team-mates, the people that come to the stadium or watch, people at home watching, everyone I can, you know?
“If you could touch them with something as simple as playing with a football, that’s something really special."
Arsenal need to 'manifest' winning trophies
15:45 , Mike JonesAfter Arsenal were dumped out of two cup competitions in as many games, Noni Madueke is calling on his teammates to ‘manifest’ the things they want to achieve.
He told Uefa: "I feel like the greatest athletes of all time have a little bit of delusion because you need to believe it before it manifests.
“If you believe that you can be the best even before it's your reality, you give yourself the opportunity.
“When you step on the pitch, you have to believe that in any game, in any context, versus any opponent, you can make the difference."
Mikel Arteta rues ‘defending errors’ as Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup
15:37 , Mike JonesMikel Arteta rued Arsenal’s ‘defending errors’ as his team suffered consecutive defeats for the first time this season and were dumped out of the FA Cup thanks to a 2-1 loss at Southampton.
Super sub Shea Charles fired the Saints to Wembley as Tonda Eckert’s Championship side stunned the Premier League leaders Arsenal in a famous FA Cup quarter-final victory.
Arteta rues ‘defending errors’ as Arsenal’s loss to Saints dumps them out of FA Cup
Arsenal early team news
15:30 , Mike JonesFor Arsenal, Gabriel was taken off during the defeat to Southampton with an injury knock and might not be fit to feature. Other doubts are Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber but there is more hope that each will be fit enough to return. Definitely out are Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie and Mikel Merino who continue their recoveries from injury.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Sporting early team news
15:22 , Mike JonesLuis Suarez is set to return to Sporting’s startin XI having missed their previous Champions League outing due to suspension. The hosts are without Fotis Ioannidis, Geovany Quenda and Nuno Santos, while Luis Guilherme is also a doubt due to an ankle problem. Captain Morten Hjulmand is suspended for this clash and will miss the first leg.
Predicted Sporting XI: Silva; Vagiannidis, Diomande, Inacio, Mangas; Braganca, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Goncalves; Suarez
How can I watch it?
15:15 , Mike JonesThe match will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video with coverage beginning at 6.30pm. If you're not an Amazon Prime Video subscriber you can start a free 30-day trial here.
When is Sporting v Arsenal?
15:08 , Mike JonesThe Champions League first leg between Sporting and Arsenal is at 8pm BST on Tuesday 7 April at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sporting vs Arsenal
15:00 , Mike JonesThe Champions League returns this week with the first legs of the quarter-final ties and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal travel to Portugal to take on Sporting CP.
The Gunners have been near perfect in European competition this season having finished top of the table during the league phase before coming through a tricky, if not hugely testing, last-16 tie with Bayer Leverkusen where they won 3-1 on aggregate.
However, there are signs of vulnerability creeping into Arteta’s squad after Arsenal lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. To make matters worse, those defeats - to Man City in the Carabao Cup final and to Southampton in the FA Cup - ended the Gunners’ journey in two competitions and they will hope to avoid a similar fate in Europe.
Sporting, meanwhile, will prove to be strong opponents. Having also finished inside the top eight in the Champions League table, they swept past Bodo/Glimt 5-3 in the last-16 and sit second in the Portuguese top-flight.
Good afternoon!
13:23 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Sporting CP and Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side are hoping to continue their good run in European competition and advance into the semi-finals but they face testing customers in their Portuguese opponents.
Viktor Gyokeres returns to his former club and will aim to excel for the Gunners who are in need of a victory having lost their last two matches.
We’ll have all the team news and latest updates so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
