Great to see so many gaygooners before (and at) the match yesterday.
There are smash & grabs, & then there is whatever this was. Arsenal spent much of evening politely passing the ball around, before Kai Havertz wandered in late & helped himself to a winner.
A lively start saw David Raya reminding everyone he has hands, tipping one onto bar, while woodwork at both ends took more punishment than referee in north London derby.
After that, the game settled into gentle hum of Arsenal possession with all menace of a damp Tuesday evening.
Sporting had their moments, Arsenal had the ball much of the time, & neither seemed especially keen to do anything decisive with it. Martin Ødegaard tried, limped, & departed stage left, which felt ominous.
Enter Havertz. Late, quiet, & devastatingly effective. Gabriel Martinelli did the hard work, beat a couple, squared it, & Havertz finished it.
It was not pretty. It was not convincing. It was, however, extremely useful.
Onwards & upwards, my friends.
@Arsenal ⚽️ @SportingCP @ChampionsLeague @Regenersaurus 🦖 @gaygooners 🌈
#COYG 🔴⚪️ #SPOARS 🥅 #SportingArsenal #UCL #Havertz #Martinelli #Raya
