Perhaps inspired by their nail-biting stoppage time victory against Bournemouth, Premier League leaders Arsenal exerted early pressure in a bid to extend their four-match win streak.
The Lisbon natives carefully assessed the visitors’ moves in the opening minutes, but eventually gave way to the opener midway through the half, after William Saliba out jumped the home defense following a corner in the six-yard box to bury the ball in the left corner.
Mikel Arteta’s side seemed complacent after drawing first blood, as the Leões roared back with successive chances, before thrilling their nervous fans with a carbon copy of Arsenal’s opener.
Gonçalo Inácio spotted a pinpoint corner delivery, and he rose high to swiftly guide the ball past a helpless Matt Turner to level terms. The USMNT keeper was then forced into a fantastic save from a long-range effort, but Arsenal finished the first half looking the stronger side.
Having scored nine of their 13 most recent goals in the second half. Arsenal were expected to continue in that same vein, but some intricate Sporting teamplay in the opposition box left Paulinho with an easy tap-in to give his side the lead.
Sporting’s Hidemasa Morita was then thrown into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, receiving a caution for a foul that will see him miss the return leg in London next Thursday.
But the Japanese midfielder’s evening was to get even worse just a handful of minutes later, when an unlucky deflection saw him net an own goal. At 2-2, the game was now either side’s to snatch, but neither proved capable of taking the initiative or completing the necessary runs.
That said, there were penalty appeals from Arsenal on the cusp of 90 minutes after Fabio Vieira went down inside the box under pressure from a green and white shirt, but Tobias Stieler waved play on.
Being the only English side to have beaten Sporting in Lisbon since 2018, Arsenal will rue not having taken their earlier chances, despite extending their unbeaten record against Portuguese opposition in the UEL to seven games. And having progressed from each of their previous six ties against English sides in the UEFA Cup or UEL knockout stages, Rúben Amorim’s outfit will hope to carry this evening’s momentum into the return leg next week.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon)
