Sporting captain explains the difficulties Arsenal caused them | OneFootball

Morten Hjulmand, captain of Sporting Lisbon, did not shy away from expressing his dismay following his team’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of Arsenal, attributing Sporting’s collapse to missed opportunities and persistent defensive shortcomings against a dominant Arsenal side.

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Speaking after the 5-1 drubbing, the Danish midfielder conceded Arsenal’s superior clinical efficiency, describing the night as “a tough one” for Sporting.

Arsenal delivered a masterclass in Lisbon, systematically dismantling the reigning Portuguese champions with clinical ruthlessness.

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring, followed by a Kai Havertz’s tap-in, before a thumping header from Gabriel just before the break effectively sealed the encounter by halftime.

Although Gonçalo Inácio’s early second-half goal momentarily rekindled hopes for the hosts, Bukayo Saka‘s penalty and Leandro Trossard’s late finish after Mikel Merino‘s deflected shot ensured a resounding win for the Gunners—one of their finest European away performances since the memorable 5-1 victory over Inter Milan in 2003.

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Reflecting on Arsenal’s approach, Hjulmand acknowledged that their movement had been pivotal in unsettling Sporting’s defensive shape. Speaking to Sport TV, he remarked, “They were very effective, it was a tough night for us.

“Now, the priority is to keep our heads up. We have an important game against Santa Clara on Saturday, and we have to focus on that now.” He also stressed that Sporting would conduct an exhaustive video analysis of the match to identify their shortcomings: “Let’s analyse why this game went poorly for us.”

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Hjulmand further highlighted the difficulties Arsenal’s tactical fluidity posed: “They pushed a forward into the Number 10 role, sometimes even into a Number 8, which caused us real difficulties.”

After these tactical challenges, he admitted, “We are far from satisfied with today’s result; we have to do better.” He dismissed suggestions that the pressure of the occasion might explain their performance, underscoring instead Arsenal’s quality and Sporting’s need to respond.

After the game, Gonçalo Inácio also reflected the defeat, highlighting how the penalty, shortly after Sporting had reduced the deficit to 3-1, gave Arsenal momentum.

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Inácio, who scored Sporting’s only goal in the match, admitted the fourth goal was a turning point that dashed the team’s hopes. Speaking to Sport TV, he said: “It was a tough defeat. We conceded right at the start of the game, tried to respond, and managed to score early in the second half. We were on top of the game, but then they scored again, this time from a penalty, which gave them confidence.”

At halftime, with Sporting trailing by three goals, head coach João Pereira encouraged the team to focus on drawing strength from their ‘unity’. Inácio added, “At halftime, the coach gave us instructions to improve our performance in key areas and emphasised the importance of group unity. That gave us the motivation to keep fighting.”

Summing up the experience, Inácio acknowledged disappointment but stressed the need to move forward: “There are days like this. We suffered a heavy defeat, but now we have to focus on winning the next game.”