Arsenal went out of the Europa League at the last-16 stage in a dramatic encounter with Sporting CP.
The Gunners hosted the Primeira Liga giants at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.
Arsenal broke the deadlock on 19 minutes to go 3-2 up on aggregate in the tie.
Granit Xhaka slammed home on the rebound after Gabriel Martinelli saw his effort saved.
However, Sporting were much improved in the second half and found an equaliser just after the hour.
Pedro Goncalves spotted Aaron Ramsdale off his line and let rip with a 50-yard effort which sailed into the net.
The game went to extra time and, despite Arsenal dominating once again, they failed to grab a winner.
Sporting also went down to ten men after Manuel Ugarte was shown a second yellow card for a lunge on Bukayo Saka.
In the end, Arsenal and Sporting needed penalties, and Martinelli was the only player who missed from both sides.
‘Priority to the Premier League’
Despite the disappointment of the Gunners’ defeat, Portuguese outlet Noticias Ao Minuto stood up for Mikel Arteta.
They said “you cannot crucify” the Arsenal boss for prioritising the Premier League over the Europa League.
‘Arteta wanted to rotate some of the team’s players, keeping Saka, Partey or Odegaard (starting on the bench), and saw Sporting take control of the game in the second half,’ they wrote.
‘However, you cannot crucify the Spanish coach who gave priority to the Premier League. The reason is simple: the Gunners haven’t been champions for 19 years.’
While it’s disappointing to bow out of the Europa League, Arsenal certainly do have bigger fish to fry.
The Gunners are back in Premier League action on Sunday, with Crystal Palace coming to the Emirates.
With the international break on the horizon, Arsenal will want to go into the break with a sizeable points advantage.
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