Arsenal have secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive year, surviving a grueling and “anxiety-ridden” encounter against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium.

While the match ended in a 0–0 draw, Mikel Arteta’s men advanced 1–0 on aggregate, thanks to their slender lead from the first leg in Lisbon.

The atmosphere in North London was thick with tension as Arsenal looked to bounce back from a recent dip in form, including a painful Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City just weeks ago. From the first whistle, it was clear that Sporting had no intention of making it easy. The Portuguese side remained compact, frustrating an Arsenal attack that struggled to find its usual rhythm.

The Gunners’ best chance to kill off the tie came late in the second half. Leandro Trossard rose high to meet a cross at the far post, but his header struck the upright—the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.

Gabriel Jesus also threatened with a sharp turn and shot from an acute angle in the 85th minute, but his effort failed to hit the target, leaving the home fans on the edge of their seats for the final minutes.

Despite the lack of goals, the Gunners’ defense held firm under immense pressure. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Sporting launched a desperate final assault, even hitting the side netting from the edge of the area. However, the center-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel ensured David Raya’s goal remained unbreached, seeing out the four minutes of injury time to seal the result.

The victory sets up a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Atlético Madrid, with the first leg scheduled for April 29 in Spain. However, Arsenal’s immediate focus must shift back to the domestic front. On Sunday, they head to the Etihad for a massive “title duel” against Manchester City, who currently trail the Gunners by six points with a game in hand.