Arsenal Hit Back at ‘Boring’ Jab From Beaten Champions League Opponent

Limited in attack, the Gunners kept two clean sheets to reach the semifinals of the competition.

Arsenal have little interest in entertaining critics. | Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Arsenal’s slender aggregate win to reach the Champions League semifinals for the second year running was described by Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand as “a little bit boring.”

Overall, it was an attritional, rather than attractive, victory for the Gunners over two matches. Mikel Arteta’s team picked up a narrow 1–0 victory in Lisbon in the first leg, leaning heavily on goalkeeper David Raya before striking late through Kai Havertz to inflict a rare home defeat on Sporting.

In the second leg, Arsenal lacked creativity and registered just a single shot on target. But they suffocated and restricted a potentially dangerous Sporting side even more to cling to the first-leg advantage. It was a far cry from the 6–4 aggregate thriller between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid that was simultaneously unfolding in Germany.

Hjulmand suggested the second leg was an “even game,” with Sporting ultimately hamstrung by the first-leg result. “The impact of the first game that we lost made it more difficult to go to the Emirates and win, especially when they don’t often lose at home we knew it would be difficult.

“But the game had low intensity and no rhythm, zero goals 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.”

---

Declan Rice: Who Cares?

Declan Rice started despite an injury scare. | Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images

Arsenal have acquired a reputation for a winning-at-all-costs philosophy, which has often seen technique go out of the window in favor of brawn. It makes them hard to beat, can be frustrating to watch and doesn’t sit well with everyone. But, ultimately, those on the inside don’t care.

“Frustrating? No, we just got to a semifinal, positivity all the way,” stand-in captain Declan Rice told reporters after the final whistle. “Who cares what people think? All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks and we’re in another semifinal. I’m delighted.

“We’ll keep going. Keep playing well. Keep getting over the line and bring it on. Bring on everything. This is Arsenal Football Club, there’s noise with every game. If you don’t play well, take it with a pinch of salt and keep moving. Nobody’s going to hand you anything in this game.”

---

Mikel Arteta Praises Arsenal’s History Makers

The most important thing for Arteta was that Arsenal won the tie, rather than how it happened. There is an argument to say that Sporting were the better team over 180 minutes, but that crucially wasn’t reflected in the overall aggregate scoreline.

“I don’t know [if the outcome was fair in Sporting]. I’m the Arsenal manager, and I think it’s very fair what happened over the last two legs,” he said. “You have to be better than the opponent. I think we had many periods in the game when we were there, but we didn’t score the goal. We have many other things that are very important to get the result that you need in a tie.”

For Arsenal, progressing in the competition represents some history. It is the first time the club, still seeking a maiden Champions League title, has reached the semifinals in back-to-back seasons.

Prior to 2024–25, when a quarterfinal victory over Real Madrid set up a last four encounter with Paris Saint-Germain, the Gunners had only been to the semifinals in 2005–06—when they beat Villarreal but lost to Barcelona in the final—and 2008–09, against Manchester United.

“There’s been a lot of work behind it, we've done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years,” Arteta remarked, perhaps mildly overstating things given that the European Cup has only existed for half that time.

“That tells you the difficulty,” he added. “We have had to do it as well in a very special way, missing a lot of important players, so big credit for that. I’m especially happy for our supporters because they were right behind the team today and we’re going to have two magical nights, one in Madrid and another one here in London against Atlético, so I’m very proud of them.”

Atlético Madrid stand in the way next. | Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

The semifinal against Atlético Madrid will be played on April 29 and May 5, starting in Madrid—Arsenal’s higher seeding from the league phase means home advantage in the decisive second leg.

One of these teams will reach the final to face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. Neither Arsenal nor Atlético have won the competition before, with the latter last reaching the final 10 years ago, compared to the former’s 20-year absence from the annual continental showpiece.

---

Atlético Madrid’s European Cup/Champions League Semifinal Record

Season	Opponent	Result
1958–59	Real Madrid	Lost
1970–71	Ajax	Lost
1973–74	Celtic	Won
2013–14	Chelsea	Won
2015–16	Bayern Munich	Won
2016–17	Real Madrid	Lost

---