'Boring!' - Sporting CP captain aims dig at Arsenal as he bemoans frequent set-piece delays during Champions League loss

Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season after protecting their 1-0 first-leg advantage with a goalless draw. While Mikel Arteta’s side made club history, the match was a largely stale encounter with a combined xG of just 0.93, the lowest in the competition this term. Sporting spurned their best opportunity when Geny Catamo hit the post, but the Portuguese champions struggled to find any momentum as the game was repeatedly halted by the hosts' tactical slowing of the tempo.

The lack of intensity throughout the second leg clearly frustrated the visitors, who felt they were never allowed to establish their preferred attacking flow. Hjulmand was particularly vocal about the stop-start nature of the game and the impact it had on the quality of the football produced.

Reflecting on the performance and the frequent interruptions to play, the Denmark international said: “I think it was an even game today the impact of the first game that we lost made it more difficult to go to the Emirates and win, especially when don’t often lose at home we knew it would be difficult here. But the game had low intensity and no rhythm, zero goal and I would say boring. I think a lot stops during the game so we couldn’t get the rhythm that we wanted to. A little bit boring.”

Beyond the general lack of goals, the Sporting captain highlighted a specific frustration regarding how Arsenal managed the clock during dead-ball situations. The Portuguese side believed they were the more creative force when the game was allowed to flow, but those moments were rare.

Discussing why the match failed to live up to the drama of the other quarter-final ties, Hjulmand added: “If I was a viewer from outside 0-0, also the first game 1-0 it’s not the way Sporting wants to show itself. We want to score goals, create chances and we didn’t do it today. During the game I felt a lot of stops, especially during set-pieces and it takes a lot of time out of the game. When we did get the rhythm we did create a lot of chances, especially in the first half. But at the end we didn’t create enough to win the game to be honest.”

Arsenal currently lead the Premier League with 70 points from 32 games ahead of Sunday’s monumental trip to Manchester City, where a loss would allow the hosts to close the gap to just three points with a game in hand. Following the Etihad clash, the Gunners must navigate a demanding schedule featuring Newcastle on April 25 and May fixtures against Fulham, West Ham, and Burnley before a final-day encounter with Crystal Palace and a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Sporting CP, meanwhile, return to Liga Portugal action by hosting rivals Benfica, as they remain determined to close the gap on current leaders FC Porto.