Arsenal left it late, but they will take a slender advantage back to London for their Champions League quarter-final second leg. Check out the best facts and stats from this game with our Sporting CP vs Arsenal stats page.
Kai Havertz popped up with a stoppage-time goal to snatch Arsenal a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final.
It looked like Arsenal were set to endure another frustrating stalemate, but Havertz came off the bench to net another late goal for the Gunners, giving them a lead to protect next week at the Emirates Stadium.
A lightning-quick start to the match, in which both sides hit the crossbar in the first 15 minutes, did not set the tone for what turned out to be an affair low on action.
Sporting raced out of the blocks, with Maxi Araújo holding off his defender as he raced in behind and he had David Raya worried, only to sweep his shot against the crossbar.
Arsenal settled into the game shortly after, and Noni Madueke almost caught out Rui Silva with an inswinging corner that bounced off the bar before Martin Ødegaard fizzed a first-time effort narrowly wide.
Despite Arsenal’s dominance in possession, Sporting continued to provide a threat on the break, but Trincão got his angles all wrong after being played in by Araújo.
Martín Zubimendi thought he had given Arsenal the lead in the 63rd minute, but his celebrations were cut short. He drilled a low shot into the bottom-right corner from range, but Viktor Gyökeres was offside in the build-up.
Raya then kept Arsenal in the tie, reacting brilliantly to keep out Geny Catamo’s improvised finish in the 83rd minute. He kept the Mozambique international out again shortly before smothering Luis Suárez’s follow-up.
And those saves proved crucial as Arsenal snatched the win in the 91st minute, with Gabriel Martinelli picking out Havertz, who stood up to Silva to plant his low shot into the bottom-left corner.
4 – Kai Havertz's winner, assisted by Gabriel Martinelli, is Arsenal's fourth goal in the UEFA Champions League this season that was both scored and assisted by a substitute, the most by a side in a single season of the competition. Super. pic.twitter.com/9GJDAuszcK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 7, 2026Arsenal Keep Fighting
After losing the EFL Cup final to Manchester City and being knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton, Arsenal were in desperate need of a win, and they got their wish.
It is the first time the Gunners have won away against Portuguese opposition in the knockout stages of a major European competition, ending a run of six without victory (D4 L2).
It looked like it was going to be a frustrating match for both sides, with this the first Champions League match this season to see both sides hit the woodwork in the opening 15 minutes.
Arsenal are known for their defensive resolve, though, with this their seventh clean sheet in 11 Champions League games this season.
Raya more than proved his worth on his return after being a substitute in the last two matches, making five saves, but it was Havertz who earned the headlines.
His strike was Arsenal’s second 90th-minute winner in a Champions League knockout game, after Martinelli’s goal in April 2025 against Real Madrid.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Sporting CP vs Arsenal stats from their Champions League quarter-final meeting at Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday evening.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal Post-Match Facts
Kai Havertz has netted three goals in his last five substitute appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Indeed, of his 14 goals in the competition overall, seven have come across the last two seasons (4 in 2024-25, 3 in 2025-26). Sporting CP have now lost all five of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage first-leg ties by an aggregate score of 0-17. At 16 years and 97 days, Arsenal’s Max Dowman is the youngest player to appear in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League in the competition’s history, overtaking Lamine Yamal against Napoli in February 2024 (16y 223d).Enjoy this? Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal Stats: Kai Havertz Strikes at the Death to Earn Narrow First-Leg Win Opta Analyst.
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