Sporting’s unbeaten run ended with 5-1 hammering by Arsenal

New Sporting coach João Pereira’s hopes of a positive start in the Champions League were crushed as the Lions succumbed to a 5-1 thumping against an impressive Arsenal in Lisbon tonight.

Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães scored in a one-sided first half where Sporting were chasing shadows as the outstanding Martin Odegaard ran the show.

The hosts improved after the break and an unlikely comeback looked possible as Gonçalo Inácio cut the deficit and Sporting enjoyed a brief period of dominance. But Bukayo Saka’s penalty killed the game and Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard completed the rout.

Sporting lose for the first time in 18 matches (17 of which were victories) in 2024/25, but remain well-placed in the Champions League with ten points after five games. Tom Kundert reports from Alvalade. 

New beginning

Sporting coach João Pereira took his place in the dugout for his second match in charge after the 6-0 thrashing of Amarante in the Portuguese Cup, but the opposition was of a completely different calibre as the Lions hosted Premier League giants for the second Champions League match in a row.

Hopes were high of another positive result among the home supporters after the memorable 4-1 victory over Manchester City and an almost perfect season so far. Those hopes were soon dashed as Arsenal took control of the match from the off and grabbed an early lead.

Sporting had no answer to Arsenal’s right flank were Odergaard and Saka were probing and teasing the home defenders with their clever movement and crisp passing, and it was no surprise when the opening goal came from that area. Rice received the Norwegian’s pass and played in Jurrien Timber, whose low cross was turned in by Gabriel Martinelli with Sporting goalkeeper Franco Israel caught in no man’s land.

The home team were unable to react to the setback. If anything, buoyed by the goal, Arsenal increased their dominance with the ball rarely leaving Sporting’s defensive half of the pitch. The visitors duly doubled their lead midway through the first half when Thomas Partey lifted a delightful ball over the top, Saka was quicker to it than Israel, poking it past the goalkeeper to leave Kai Havertz with a tap-in.

Saliba nullifies Gyökeres

The Londoners did not let up, continuing to hog the ball with Sporting incapable of holding any meaningful possession, much less providing any service to Gyökeres as the home fans began to voice their frustration at what they were seeing. On the odd occasion when the Swede received a pass, Saliba did a superb job at controlling the striker, either winning the ball or channelling him into areas of no danger.

Saka drew a sharp save out of Israel and St. Juste made a vital interception. Sporting at last produced an attack with an end product on the stroke of half time, Araújo feeding Quenda whose well-struck shot Raya touched over the bar.

However, things would get worse for Sporting before the interval as Arsenal broke and won a corner, Gabriel rising highest to head in Declan Rice’s superb delivery for a half-time score of Sporting 0-3 Arsenal. 

Whatever João Pereira said during the interval had the desired effect as Sporting came out looking a completely different team in the second half, Hidemasa Morita forcing Raya into a diving save low to his left. From the resulting corner Gonçalo Inácio produced an excellent left-footed volley to send the ball into the net at the near post.

Sporting show some fight

A more aggressive Sporting were suddenly snapping into tackles and committing more men forward, Gyökeres winning a free kick on the edge of the area but the Swede smashed his effort well over the bar. Edwards forced Raya into a sharp save with a low cross that turned into a dangerous shot, and the former Tottenham player then combined well with Gyökeres but shot over the bar.

Another goal during Sporting’s purple patch could have paved the way for another epic European night in Lisbon. As it was, Odegaard earned Arsenal a penalty in the 64th minute, drawing a foul from Diomande, Saka dispatched the spot kick low and hard into the net and the match ended as a contest then and there.

Losing 4-1, Sporting were unable to summon up the same energy with which they had begun the second half, although to their credit they refused to throw in the towel. Gyökeres had Raya scurrying backwards with a deflected shot, Hjulmand forced the Spanish goalkeeper into another save, and Francisco Trincão’s effort was deflected narrowly over the bar.

But it would be Arsenal who would find the net again, Mikel Merino afforded far too much time and space to shoot powerfully at goal, Israel keeping it out but Trossard on hand to head in from point-blank range.

In the 86th minute Viktor Gyökeres embarked on one of his typical barrelling runs, finally shrugging off the attentions of Arsenal’s defenders and he was unlucky to see a powerful angled shot crash back into play off the post. 

João Pereira and Sporting will look to bounce back on Saturday when they host high-flying Santa Clara at Alvalade.

Sporting: Franco Israel, Jeremiah St. Juste, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio (Matheus Reis, 88’), Geovany Quenda, Hidemasa Morita (Conrad Harder, 78’), Morten Hjulmand, Maxi Araújo (Geny Catamo, 68’), Francisco Trincão (João Simões, 88’), Viktor Gyökeres, Marcus Edwards (Daniel Bragança, 68’)

Arsenal: David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães (Jakub Kiwior, 84’), Riccardo Calafiori (Oleksandr Zinchenko, 78’), Thomas Partey, Declan Rice (Mikel Merino, 70’), Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard (Ethan Nwaneri, 78’), Gabriel Martinelli (Leandro Trossard, 70’), Kai Havertz

Goals:

[0-1] Gabriel Martinelli, 7’

[0-2] Kai Havertz, 21’

[0-3] Gabriel Magalhães, 45 +1’

[1-3] Gonçalo Inácio, 48’

[1-4] Bukayo Saka (pen), 64’

[1-5] Leandro Trossard, 82’