Sporting CP Dumped Arsenal Out Of Europa League
It was a shocking defeat as Arsenal lost on penalty with Sporting CP. Mike Arteta boys have been on form lately. Grant Xhaka opened opened scoring for the gunners, but it was not enough as sporting clinch an equalizer 66th minutes. Pedro Goncalves leveled the game up.
WHAT HAPPENED? The highly rated Portuguese midfielder stole the ball after some sloppy passing between Granit Xhaka and Jorginho in the middle of the park. Goncalves controlled well and drove before chipping the ball from a staggering 46 yards out, as his pinpoint effort sailed over a scrambling Aaron Ramsdale and into the back of the night to leave the home crowd in utter shock.
After extra time, the both team went on penalty kick. Sporting was the first to play, St Juste scored the first penalty, followed by Martin Odegaard.
Gabriel Martinelli missed a penalty kick for Arsenal. And Arthur Gomes took advantage of it and scored for sporting. Aaron Ramsdale could not stop any of sporting penalty kick.
Sporting scored all of their 5 kicks, which took Arsenal out of the European League. Sporting will advance to the next stage of the rounds.
Gabriel Jesus was named in Arsenal’s starting XI
for their Europa League clash with Sporting CP.
Jesus returned from injury as a second-half substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham on Sunday, a victory that moved them five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The former Manchester City forward had not featured since sustaining a knee injury while on duty with Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar last year.
Jesus’ last goal came at the start of October, in a 3-1 defeat of Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham.
With the last-16 tie against Sporting level at 2-2 after the first leg in Lisbon, Mikel Arteta selected Jesus to lead Arsenal’s line at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
Reiss Nelson kept his starting place from the first leg, with Gabriel Martinelli completing the front three as Bukayo Saka dropped to the bench.
Matt Turner, Ben White andΒ Jakub Kiwior started in Lisbon, but Aaron Ramsdale,Β Takehiro Tomiyasu andΒ Gabriel Magalhaes came into the defence for the rematch, with Jorginho, Fabio Vieira and Granit Xhaka keeping their places in midfield.
William Saliba put Arsenal ahead on March 9 beforeΒ Goncalo Inacio andΒ Paulinho turned matters around, butΒ Hidemasa Morita’s own goal ensured the second leg would startΒ on level terms.
Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey were the first-team regulars named alongside Saka on the bench, with Arteta juggling progress in Europe with the Gunners’ title charge β they face Crystal Palace at home on Sunday.
