Arsenal produced their most impressive Champions League performance of the season on Tuesday evening as they hammered reigning Portuguese champions Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon.
The Gunners were relentless in their pursuit of victory at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and powered into a three-goal lead courtesy of an utterly dominant first-half effort from those in red and white.
Sporting reduced the deficit after the restart and a brief wobble threatened to derail what had been a comfortable evening for the visitors, but Arsenal showed the maturity of an increasingly confident Champions League side. Extending their lead even further after the hour mark, it truly was the perfect away display from the resurgent Gunners.
Following a morale-boosting outing that has seen Arsenal shoot up the league phase table, here are some key talking points from their victory in Portugal.
At the beginning of November, Manchester City made headlines on their trip to Lisbon for all the wrong reasons. The reigning Premier League champions were overrun by the indefatigable Sporting and succumbed to a dismal 4-1 defeat.
While the exit of former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim – now of Manchester United, of course – made the Portuguese side a more vulnerable target for Arsenal, Tuesday’s outing promised to be an extremely tough test for a team without an away win in Europe this season.
However, Arsenal played with the swagger and confidence required of elite teams on the road in the Champions League. Smothering Sporting with their press and punishing them with some well-taken goals, the Gunners purred during an excellent first-half showing.
A mini wobble after half-time as Sporting pulled one back could have undone the visitors, but they showed the maturity, experience and quality required to get the job done emphatically.
If ever evidence was needed of how integral Martin Odegaard is to Arsenal, then Tuesday’s match provided it. Mikel Arteta’s side had looked a shadow of themselves in the Norwegian’s absence, struggling to break down stubborn low blocks and open up defences without their skipper’s ingenuity.
From the first minute in Lisbon, Odegaard was determined to highlight his significance to the north London side. Dictating the tempo and picking incisive passes with a swing of his magical left boot, he was at the centre of Arsenal’s dominance.
Not everything Odegaard tried came off. There was the odd overhit chip or over-adventurous through ball, but they were passes that others in Arsenal red are simply unable to see – or unwilling to attempt at the very least.
Odegaard proceeded to win Arsenal’s penalty after the hour mark which helped clinch the result, capping what was an expert display from the playmaker.
There have never been any doubts over Bukayo Saka’s brilliance, with performances like Tuesday’s only strengthening his position as one of football’s most devastating forwards.
Arsenal, with the help of Odegaard and Jurrien Timber, swiftly overloaded Sporting’s left-hand side from the first whistle, with much of the Gunners’ play taking place out wide. Saka was naturally key in this approach, torturing the likes of Maximiliano Araujo and the covering Hidemasa Morita with his turn of pace and direct running.
An assist and a goal was as little as the England winger deserved for another livewire display down the wing, with Saka also having the experience and nous to slow the game down when required, or draw fouls to relieve pressure.
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