By Opta Analyst | Created at 2024-11-26 23:50:19 | Updated at 2024-11-27 02:25:19
2 hours ago
Arsenal produced a stellar performance on the road in the Champions League. Look back on the action with the best facts and Opta data in our Sporting CP vs Arsenal stats page.
Arsenal produced the statement victory Mikel Arteta had asked for as they made light work of Sporting CP in a 5-1 win on the road in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Portuguese champions had been unbeaten in 31 matches across all competitions, most of those under the guidance of new Manchester United coach Rúben Amorim, but Arsenal swept them aside.
Arsenal got off to a flying start, Jurrien Timber providing Gabriel Martinelli with a simple finish in the seventh minute. Bukayo Saka then left Kai Havertz with a similarly easy tap-in shortly after to put the Gunners in charge.
Gabriel Magalhães bundled in at the back post from a trademark Arsenal corner just before the break, and although Gonçalo Inácio pulled one back soon after the restart, the visitors’ lead rarely looked in danger.
A Saka penalty took the England star to 15 goal involvements in all competitions for this season already with 65 minutes played, and substitute Leandro Trossard nodded in from close range in the latter stages after Franco Israel parried right to him.
It meant Arsenal scored as many goals in this game as in their previous eight Champions League away matches combined.
Similarly, it ended a 30-match unbeaten run at home for Sporting across all competitions, while this was the first time Arsenal have netted five on the road in the UCL since October 2008 (5-2 vs Fenerbahce).
It would seem Arsenal are finding their stride again.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Sporting vs Arsenal stats from their Champions League meeting at Estádio José Alvalade.
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 vs Arsenal: Post-Match Facts
- Seventeen-year-old Geovany Quenda made his fifth UEFA Champions League appearance tonight, equalling Rúben Neves for the most appearances in the competition by a Portuguese player while under the age of 18. At 17 years and 210 days old, Quenda is the outright youngest Portuguese player to reach five appearances.
- Sporting CP conceded as many goals against Arsenal (5) as they had in their previous five UEFA Champions League home matches combined, with this the first time they’ve lost by a 4+ goal margin at home in the competition since a 0-5 defeat to Manchester City in February 2022.
- Kai Havertz’s goal was his 100th in his club career across all competitions, with the German netting 46 goals for Bayer Leverkusen, 32 for Chelsea and 22 for Arsenal.
- Gabriel Martinelli’s goal with 06:43 on the clock was Arsenal’s fastest in the UEFA Champions League since Theo Walcott netted against Basel in September 2016 (06:42), whilst it was Arsenal’s quickest goal in an away match in the competition since Lukas Podolski v Galatasaray in December 2014 (02:01).
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