Crisis, what crisis? Before this month’s international break, Arsenal’s season felt like it was teetering on the edge - but this win over Sporting CP showed how they have found their groove.
The Gunners produced arguably their best performance of the season to thump the Portuguese champions 5-1 in their own backyard.
Only three weeks ago, Sporting had humbled Manchester City 4-1 on the same ground. This time, they were the ones on the end of a drubbing that will surely ignite Arsenal’s season.
Sporting were poor, especially in the first half, but the Gunners were equally brilliant as for the first time since 2008 they scored five goals away from home in the Champions League.
After months of injuries and suspensions, this felt like a night where Arsenal’s season truly turned.
Arsenal end barren away run in style
Before tonight, you had to go all the way back to December of last year to find the last time Arsenal had scored a goal on the road in Europe.
Eddie Nketiah, now of Crystal Palace, was the scorer that day as the Gunners drew 1-1 in a dead rubber with PSV Eindhoven.
Mikel Arteta had called on his side to be more “ruthless” in front of goal after failing to find the net in any of their last four away games in the Champions League - and his side emphatically answered that call.
It took just seven minutes for Arsenal to open the scoring through Gabriel Martinelli and they did not take their foot off the gas.
By half-time it was 3-0 - the last time the Gunners had managed that in a European away game was April 2021, when they beat Slavia Prague 4-1.
The stadium in Prague then was empty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and you’d have been forgiven for thinking the same was the case in Lisbon, such was the way Arsenal silenced the home fans.
By the time Leandro Trossard scored a fifth by heading home Mikel Merino's saved shot, fans were already well on their way to the exit.
Timber excels in White’s absence
The news over the recent international break that Ben White would be out for months after knee surgery was a hammer blow for Arsenal.
The right-back has been one of the Gunners’ most consistent performers in recent seasons, but Jurrien Timber is showing how he could thrive in his absence.
The Dutchman impressed in last weekend’s win over Nottingham Forest, when he had a goal ruled out for offside, and he was excellent against Sporting.
Timber set up Arsenal’s opening goal, playing a brilliant ball into the box that found the gap between Sporting’s defence and goalkeeper Franco Israel, enabling Martinelli to score.
It was the start of a bright first half by Timber, who got forward whenever he could to support Bukayo Saka. The Dutchman has played on both flanks since joining Arsenal, but he will now get extended time at right-back and looks set to shine.
Odegaard return ignites right flank
Watching Sporting in the first half, you could not help but wonder if they had done any homework on Arsenal.
Much of this performance was vintage Arsenal under Arteta, with Gabriel scoring their third before half-time by heading home from a Declan Rice corner. Another one for set-piece coach Nicolas Jover to add to his scrapbook.
Before that, Arsenal’s second came after great play down the right. Thomas Partey clipped a delightful ball to Saka, who slid it across for Kai Havertz to tap home.
It summed up the first half, which saw Arsenal’s right side purring. 65 per cent of their attacks came down that flank and it is no coincidence that it looks reborn since the return of Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian was sensational against Sporting, drifting out right and linking up with Saka to great effect. The pair even combined for Arsenal’s fourth goal, with Saka smashing home a penalty after Odegaard was hacked down by Ousmane Diomande.
