Arsenal beat Sporting 1‑0 on Havertz’s 91st‑minute goal
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- Arsenal secured a 1‑0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter‑final first leg thanks to a 91st‑minute goal by substitute Kai Havertz.
- Kai Havertz came off the bench and scored the winner from a pass by Gabriel Martinelli.
- David Raya made several vital saves, including tipping a Maxi Araujo shot onto the crossbar and stopping attempts from Geny Catamo and Luis Suarez.
- Max Dowman became the youngest English player ever to appear in a Champions League knockout match at 16 years and 97 days old, second‑youngest overall behind Bayern’s Filip Pavic.
- Mikel Arteta praised the win, calling Havertz’s strike a “magic moment” and highlighting the difficulty of beating Sporting at home.
Why it matters: The victory gives Arsenal a 1‑0 lead heading into the second leg, reviving their Champions League campaign after recent domestic cup defeats and positioning them for a historic back‑to‑back semi‑final appearance. Sporting Lisbon now faces a uphill task to overturn the deficit, while the record‑breaking debut of Max Dowman highlights Arsenal’s youth impact.
