Mikel Arteta praises 'magic' substitutes Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli for decisive impact as Arsenal strike late to down Sporting CP in Champions League quarter-final first leg

The Gunners appeared to be heading for a stalemate at the Estadio Jose Alvalade after a performance that lacked offensive spark for large periods. However, the introduction of Martinelli and Havertz from the bench changed the complexion of the first leg, culminating in a dramatic stoppage-time winner. The Brazilian winger provided the pinpoint cross for Havertz to slot home from close range and spark wild celebrations in the away end.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the final whistle, Arteta expressed his delight with the result and the quality of the winning goal. "Very happy to win away from home in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against a team that have not lost at home for I don't know how long," the Arsenal boss said. "I think the last time was probably in Europe as well, that shows the difficulty of it. In the end a magic moment from the finishers win us the game. Beautiful and that's the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight."

Despite the win, Arteta admitted his side struggled to find their rhythm in the final third, with Martin Zubimendi seeing a goal ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build-up. Arteta noted that his team needed to be more clinical to break down a resilient Sporting side that has been formidable on home soil.

"Yes, because when we got into the final third and we sat there we missed the final bit," Arteta replied when asked if he feared his side might not score. "We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block. We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass."

While the substitutes provided the late fireworks, Arsenal owed their clean sheet to David Raya. The Spanish goalkeeper produced a string of world-class saves, including a vital fingertip stop in the opening five minutes. His performance drew high praise from both his manager and his team-mates, with Havertz describing Raya as the "best keeper in the world" over the last two seasons.

Arteta was equally effusive regarding his number one's contribution to the victory. "He had two moments where he made two big saves. And that's the Champions League, the Champions League is always decided in the boxes and because there's so much quality here. At the moment he's phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him," the Arsenal boss added.

The 1-0 win provides a much-needed boost for Arsenal following a difficult couple of weeks on the domestic front. After exits in both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, pressure was mounting on the Gunners to deliver on the European stage. Arsenal will now look to finish the job against Sporting at the Emirates Stadium and secure their place in the Champions League semi-finals.