UCL: Havertz strikes late to hand Arsenal first-leg advantage over Sporting

Kai Havertz netted a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Sporting in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash in Lisbon, Sport360NG reports. 

Introduced in the second half, Havertz made the decisive impact late in the game, slotting past goalkeeper Rui Silva to give the Premier League leaders a slender edge ahead of next week’s return leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal entered the encounter under pressure following consecutive defeats, their first back-to-back losses of the season, and were nearly punished early on. Sporting’s Maxi Araújo rattled the crossbar after being played through by Ousmane Diomande in a threatening move from the hosts.

Despite dominating possession in the opening half, the Gunners struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Their closest effort came when Noni Madueke struck the woodwork directly from a corner.

Sporting remained dangerous on the counter-attack and almost broke the deadlock when Araújo surged forward before setting up Francisco Trincão, whose effort drifted wide.

Arsenal believed they had taken the lead in the second half through Martin Zubimendi, but the goal was ruled out after Viktor Gyökeres was adjudged offside in the build-up.

The Portuguese side pushed strongly in the closing stages, forcing goalkeeper David Raya into a series of crucial saves to keep the tie level.

However, Havertz delivered the decisive moment deep into stoppage time, ensuring Arsenal claimed their first win in three matches and gained a valuable advantage heading into the second leg.

Mikel Arteta’s side will now shift focus back to domestic duties, with a Premier League fixture against Bournemouth up next.