Arsenal boss Mikel rues wasted chances after stunning shootout defeat to Sporting Lisbon; Man United, Juventus cruise into Europa League quarters
Arsenal players wear a dejected look after losing the penalty shootout of their pre-quarterfinal encounter to Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium in London on Thursday. Pics/AFP, Getty Images
Sporting Lisbon sent Arsenal crashing out of the Europa League with a penalty shoot-out triumph after Pedro Goncalves’s stunning equaliser, while Manchester United and Juventus eased into the quarter-finals on Thursday. Sporting trailed when Granit Xhaka put Premier League leaders Arsenal ahead at the Emirates Stadium.
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Superb strike by Goncalves
But Portugal midfielder Goncalves forced extra-time when he caught out Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with a breathtaking strike from 46 yards out. With reality television star Kim Kardashian and her Arsenal fan son Saint among the spectators, the match ended level at 1-1 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate, requiring penalties to settle the tie.
Mikel Arteta
Sporting emerged with a shock 5-3 victory in the shoot-out as Gabriel Martinelli’s effort was saved by Antonio Adan and Nuno Santos dispatched the winning kick. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the result was “a huge blow” and blasted his side for wasting chances. “There were moments in the first 75 minutes where we weren’t at our level. We gave every ball away and we didn’t have the capacity to take the game,” the Spaniard said. “There were chances to win it in extra-time. There was a lot of uncertainty with the pens. It was a very difficult game.”
Also Read: Europa League and EPL are both a priority for Arsenal boss Arteta
Reds Devils’ Rashford scores
It was a far calmer night for Manchester United as Marcus Rashford’s swerving strike from distance earned a 1-0 win at Real Betis and a 5-1 aggregate success. Three-time champions Juventus earned a 2-0 win over 10-man Freiburg to progress 3-0 on aggregate, with goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa.
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