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LONDON — Arsenal's prematch choreography for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting CP carried the message: "History in our sights."
History was duly made as the Gunners progressed to the competition's semifinals for the second consecutive season, marking the first time in the club's 140-year history they had accomplished such a milestone — though the celebrations carried a notably muted tone.
Following a bruising run of results around March's international break — including exits from both domestic cups and slipping points in the Premier League title race — Arsenal had been desperate for a performance to complement their European progress. They will have to make do with the latter after an uninspiring 0–0 draw that raised more questions than it resolved.
No Evading the Emirates Angst
"No fear. Pure fire," was Arteta's rallying call to the Emirates faithful on Wednesday evening, following the first signs of supporter unrest during the weekend loss to Bournemouth. "Go for it because the opportunity is unbelievable."
The Arsenal manager got his fiery wish literally with the prematch pyrotechnics, and there was genuine electricity to the opening rendition of 'London Forever,' performed a cappella, which drowned out the whistles of the lively away contingent. The atmosphere, however, didn't take long to deflate.
Shouts of "play forward" rang out within the opening five minutes, an early indicator of a pattern that would persist throughout a tense and nervy contest.
That anxiety wasn't confined to the terraces. There were several jittery passes, particularly in Arsenal's own half, despite limited pressure from the visitors, while Arteta himself appeared even more agitated than usual. After his side were denied a free kick in a moderately dangerous position with over 15 minutes remaining, the Basque manager spun on the heel of his polished dress shoes and yanked his cashmere jumper over his face, like a middle-class schoolboy celebrating a goal in the playground of his private school.
Fittingly, the crowd's final act of the 90 minutes was a collective sigh of relief as João Simões's shot whistled narrowly wide of the post.
Eberechi Eze Still Trying to Be 'That Guy'
"Walking up to a pitch and believing that you're that guy," was the mindset Eberechi Eze, by his own admission, was attempting to channel heading into Wednesday's match. The former Crystal Palace playmaker had lived up to that billing in Arsenal's previous Champions League home outing, smashing in a spectacular goal to seal the tie against Bayer Leverkusen.
There were a handful of chances for Eze to reproduce those heroics in the quarterfinal, yet when the ball sat up invitingly, he sent it ballooning into the upper tier of the stands. That is the inherent risk of relying on a weapon as unpredictable as long-range shooting — by its very nature, it is hit and miss.
Eze did unpick Sporting's defensive shape with one clever disguised pass in the first half, yet much like his teammates, he struggled to manufacture any clear-cut opportunities on goal.
Where creativity was lacking, Eze's work rate also let him down. There was no shortage of effort — this is no Liverpool side — but he never quite found the right angle in his pressing. A well-timed curved run can eliminate the passing option behind the pressing player, cutting off the opponent in his "cover shadow." This is a technique Martin Ødegaard deploys every week — and used to great effect against Sporting in Lisbon — but one that Eze is still refining.
Cloud Lifts Over Martin Zubimendi
Following the deeply disappointing defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, Arteta was handed the perfect platform to publicly tear into his players during the postmatch press conference. He paused, visibly tense, before curtly responding: "I don't want to criticize any player, especially here, publicly."
The fanbase has shown no such restraint, particularly toward Martín Zubimendi.
The summer signing had enjoyed an outstanding first two-thirds of his debut campaign in England, away from the only club he had ever known. But the toll of playing virtually every available minute had begun to catch up with him in recent weeks.
Zubimendi occupies the delicate role of Arsenal's pressure release valve at the base of midfield — the conduit through which the team's buildup play is constantly channelled. On a growing number of occasions, those passing sequences had broken down at his feet. But not on Wednesday.
Unlike Arsenal's recent opponents — City, Southampton and Bournemouth — Sporting did not press their hosts with any great intensity. Yet, despite the visitors routinely sitting off in a green-and-white block around the halfway line, Arsenal still managed to surrender possession in their own defensive third.
It was David Raya and William Saliba, rather than Zubimendi, who were the chief culprits, and it required several fortunate moments for the scoreline to remain level during the first half. Zubimendi performed well overall and helped Arsenal grind out the goalless result, earning the Player of the Match award in the process.
Patience With Ben White Runs Out
With Jurriën Timber still sidelined, Ben White had started Arsenal's previous five matches heading into Wednesday's fixture — his longest run in the starting lineup in nearly two years. It showed. Having been largely peripheral during the Carabao Cup final defeat, White ensured he made his presence felt for all the wrong reasons across a dismal run of games against Southampton and Bournemouth.
Ultimately, it proved one error too many for Arteta. With Timber still unavailable, 21-year-old centre back Cristhian Mosquera was handed the right side of defence for his first-ever start in a Champions League knockout fixture.
Arteta's reluctant reshuffle paid dividends. Mosquera lacks the attacking sharpness White can offer at his peak, but there has been precious little of that going forward in recent weeks. Instead, the Spain international tightened up the defensive line and made himself a reliable passing option in Arsenal's buildup play.
Front Three for Man City Takes Shape
For most clubs, the attacking line that starts a decisive Champions League quarterfinal would be the same one selected for the biggest league fixture of the season. Yet Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke all but talked themselves out of contention for Sunday's trip to Manchester City.
Madueke was the brightest of an erratic trio before limping off the pitch late on. Max Dowman once again delivered an impressive burst of energy and invention, handing Arteta a genuine selection dilemma for the Etihad visit. Leandro Trossard brings far greater nuance to his game than Martinelli — who has proven more impactful from the bench in any case — while Havertz could hold the key.
Every ball played up to Gyökeres bounces straight back off the powerful Swede. Restoring Havertz as the team's focal point — rather than as Gyökeres's unconvincing understudy — should in theory give Arsenal the ability to go over the top of City's press. As they have repeatedly demonstrated, this current Arsenal side have shown none of the composure or craft required to play through Pep Guardiola's team.