Once again, players coming off the bench made a significant contribution, securing a crucial victory for Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. The Premier League as a whole also benefited from this win.
THE UNIQUE STRENGTHS OF THE "GUNNERS"
From the quarter-finals onwards, every clash in the top-tier Champions League is incredibly difficult, and often "plan A" falls apart because the opponent neutralizes the planned tactics. Substitutions become crucial in such situations. Arsenal have just taken a big step towards a glorious end to the season thanks to their superiority on the bench. At home, Sporting Lisbon have won 17 consecutive matches across all competitions. They beat Bodo/Glimt to overturn a 0-3 defeat in the first leg of the previous round. They beat the reigning Champions League champions PSG, and also defeated the Portuguese league leaders Porto in the Portuguese Cup. Therefore, Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon is undeniably important and valuable.
Kai Havertz (29) scored in injury time to help Arsenal win against Sporting Lisbon
PHOTO: REUTERS
Arsenal will soon have a historic milestone if they can defend their advantage in the second leg at home at the Emirates Stadium: reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in two consecutive seasons. It's worth remembering that Arsenal have only reached the final once (exactly 20 years ago) in their entire history of participating in the European Cup/Champions League. The Gunners will have the opportunity to repeat that best achievement if they reach the semi-finals. Furthermore, this is a very special season as Arsenal are the only club currently celebrating their 100th consecutive season in their respective leagues. They are very close to winning the Premier League title (currently 9 points ahead of second-placed Man City), making the "100 consecutive seasons" record even more glorious. Going far in the Champions League is another important detail related to this truly memorable season.
Returning to Arsenal's aforementioned strength: success from the bench. Kai Havertz scored the only goal for Arsenal in the 90+1 minute, from a pass by Gabriel Martinelli. Both are substitutes. But of course, they should be called super substitutes, due to their very high individual quality; they didn't just shine unexpectedly. This season, players coming off the bench have contributed 38 goals for Arsenal (24 goals, 14 assists). No other club in Europe can match Arsenal's ability to score from the bench. This unique strength will be discussed again if Arsenal have a glorious finish to the season.
The English Premier League officially has a 5th spot for the upcoming season.
In the other Champions League quarter-final first leg match early this morning, April 8th, Bayern Munich defeated their rivals Real Madrid 2-1 away from home. It was a spectacular display, with both sides unleashing a total of 40 shots, and both teams having very high xG (expected goals) figures. At 40 years old, veteran Manuel Neuer still shone with a series of crucial saves in front of the Bayern goal, deservedly winning the Man of the Match award. England manager Thomas Tuchel must have been very pleased to attend this match to assess the form of his England players ahead of the World Cup. Harry Kane (Bayern) scored, Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real) provided an assist, and Jude Bellingham also returned to the Real Madrid lineup, albeit only for the last 30 minutes. The other two quarter-final first leg matches, Barcelona - Atletico Madrid and PSG - Liverpool, took place early this morning. The second leg will be played in the middle of next week.
Regardless of the results from now until the end of the season, the Premier League has already secured its fifth Champions League spot next season, following Arsenal's victory over Sporting Lisbon. England cannot afford to drop to third place in UEFA's ranking of national teams' performance in the three European competitions this season. It's worth noting that five Champions League spots is only the minimum number the Premier League could potentially secure. If Nottingham Forest wins the Europa League, and Liverpool wins the Champions League but finishes outside the top five in the Premier League, then the Premier League would have seven Champions League spots next season – an unimaginable number. This season, the Premier League already has six representatives in the Champions League – a record.