Sporting and Arsenal both had their moments in this match, but the truth is that both teams owed us more. In the end, Arsenal was the more satisfied side, securing a valuable victory with a goal in the 91st minute.
The Portuguese side was much better at the start of the game. They pushed with all their might toward Arsenal's goal, and Maximiliano Araujo rattled the crossbar of the Gunners as early as the seventh minute.
The London visitors quickly recovered and responded in kind in the 16th minute when Noni Madueke hit the crossbar. Madueke was Arsenal's most dangerous player throughout the match, breaking through Sporting's defense.
The score remained unchanged until halftime. The second half brought a bit more excitement.
Arsenal scored a goal to take the lead in the 63rd minute, but the celebration was short-lived. Martin Zubimendi's goal was disallowed due to an offside position involving Viktor Gyokeres.
Two more big chances followed for Sporting, but the score didn't change until stoppage time. In the 83rd minute, David Raya saved a shot from Geny Catamo, and in the 87th minute, Luis Suarez couldn't beat Raya from the penalty spot.
The nature of the match is best illustrated by the fact that referee Daniel Siebert added only two minutes of stoppage time. In the first minute of added time, we saw the key moment of the match and Kai Havertz's goal for the Londoners' victory.
The winning goal, along with the fact that Arsenal is considered a heavy favorite at home against Sporting, suggests that the Gunners have already taken a crucial step toward qualifying for the Champions League semifinals. However, they will need to confirm it on the pitch in eight days at the Emirates in London.
Sporting - Arsenal 0:1 (Havertz 90+1')