Published: 22:22, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 22:22, 7 April 2026

The ghosts of Arsenal’s previous seasons were lingering in the Lisbon air.

The naysayers had the words ‘bottle jobs’ ready on their tongues.

Even the nerves of the jack-in-the-box character that is Mikel Arteta was plain clear, exuding onto the pitch and into the stands.

You see, this was more than a Champions League quarter-final for Arsenal. They could not afford to falter. Not one bit. Two consecutive losses spelt a campaign teetering on the precipice of doubt; three would be slowly edging towards terminal damage territory.

Losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final is disappointing from a Gunners perspective, but no disgrace. The capitulation against Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals, though, told a different story; one suggesting that the rising tide of pressure had crept into the north London club’s boat.

For a team labelled as nearly men, the kind of which falter at final hurdles, Sporting Lisbon away was an important marker after the recent events.

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