Bukayo Saka was among the five players who found the back of the net during a remarkable evening in the Portuguese capital.
Following the emphatic 5-1 victory, Saka couldn’t contain his joy as the final whistle blew, celebrating a night to remember with his teammates and fans.
Arsenal’s in-form winger had already assisted Kai Havertz for their second goal of the night. Later, as Sporting threatened to come back into the match, he stepped up and confidently converted a penalty in the second half, further securing Arsenal’s lead.
Scoring his first-ever away goal in the Champions League, he was understandably thrilled with his performance and the night’s outcome.
Saka reflects on brilliant outing against Sporting
“I thought it [his goal] did give us the momentum back. Against a team like this there’s always going to be a period where we’re under pressure, we conceded one but the rest of it we dealt with it quite well.
“We showed ourselves tonight on the top level. The away fans were top tonight I could hear them all game, I really enjoyed the atmosphere.”
Sporting entered the match undefeated for the season, boasting a perfect home record and having scored at least twice in every game at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. However, Arsenal’s quick start quickly quieted the home crowd, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Throughout the game, Arsenal dominated their hosts, controlling possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities, ultimately disrupting Sporting’s impressive home run and securing a decisive victory.
“I was most proud of not letting the occasion affect us,” Bukayo added. “We knew this was a big game, we lost our last Champions League game and we haven’t won in Europe in many, many games. I don’t remember the last time we even scored a goal away in Europe. So we just went out there with full confidence like that didn’t even happen, we were top today so I’m really proud of that.”
“I think it’s our biggest Champions League away win in over 20 years, we came and played against a top team who hasn’t lost at home this season so we’re really proud of ourselves and we need to keep going like this.”
Arsenal’s next match is scheduled for Saturday against West Ham United. In this crucial fixture, they will aim to narrow the gap with the league leaders, Liverpool, and potentially move up to second place in the Premier League table, surpassing Manchester City and Chelsea.
The Gunners are eager to build on their recent successes and maintain their momentum in the title race, knowing that a strong performance against West Ham could significantly boost their standing in the league.
