Their agonizing eight weeks without Martin Odegaard might have done profound damage to their Premier League title hopes, but there remain extremely significant prizes that Arsenal should consider firmly within their reach. No side from North London has ever lifted Europe’s greatest prize, but this iteration of Arsenal looks as well set as any in red since the agony of Paris in 2006.
After all, what could be more redolent of serious Champions League contenders than rolling up at the home of perhaps the most vaunted side from Europe’s more minor leagues and offering a robust lesson in how things are done in the top five? A 5-1 win at Sporting is Arsenal’s biggest road win in continental competition and from the outset was as authoritative as that scoreline might suggest. Even their early second half wobble was swept away, a penalty from Bukayo Saka and flick by Leandro Trossard adding gloss to a performance that had hit much greater heights in the first 45.
Through that spell, Arsenal had been in the mood to show off their full repertoire. Odegaard and Saka had cast their spells on the Sporting left, all eyes on them as first Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz stole in to strike in the first 22 minutes. On the stroke of half time what counts by Nicolas Jover standards as an arid wasteland of corner kick goals was broken, Gabriel Magalhaes delivering Arsenal’s first since he had headed home at the Etihad two months earlier. It was the full repertoire of greatness. It was all a Sporting team used to winning could do to slow the rate of haymakers.
Odegaard’s absence might have been brutal for Arsenal, but it has been extremely good for Odegaard. In those early weeks of the season he looked like a player on the cusp of breaking down; when the feet aren’t working as fast as a brain like Odegaard’s you can really tell. With the Norwegian at the heart of the action, Arsenal were as efficient as they were elegant. From Martinelli’s opener to Trossard’s final flourish they kept creating can’t miss chances of the like that eluded them without their captain. You could forgive themselves if for a moment they were inclined to sit back and admire their excellence.
Not that they created the momentary headache that came for them early in the second half. What difficulties there were perhaps spoke less to any particular shortcomings in Arsenal than how easily belief can grow in a side whose record since their league campaign began read played 18, won 17, drawn one, 59 goals scored, nine conceded. Goncalo Inacio’s flick at the near post had Sporting believing, the Alvalade booming.
Arsenal know what to do in such circumstances. Into their mid block they went, ceding possession in the knowledge that it takes something special to get another two shots past David Raya. The visitors really weren’t good at all for a quarter hour-ish between Sporting’s goal and the Bukayo Saka penalty that crushed the atmosphere.
What matters, particularly in the business end of continental football, is how little you can give up in the inevitable spells when the errors creep in and your opponents take control. Sporting had plenty of the ball in the Arsenal half but they were kept at arms’ length. Four penalty box touches, four shots worth a combined 0.14 xG, Viktor Gyokores twice lashing over Raya’s bar from range in what were the nearest he got to truly dangerous moments.
The Swede didn’t do much wrong at all, he just ran into a center back pairing he could not impose himself on. It was all he could do to win his fair share of battles when the ball came long to him and try to at least manufacture a crossing opportunity when William Saliba and Gabriel forced him wide. He won’t be the last well-regarded striker to get nothing from Arsenal.
Through five games, four against sides from Pots One and Two, it is only two goals conceded by the Gunners, a record bettered by a vanishingly small number of sides. Take penalties out of the equation and they are giving up a little over half an expected goal per game. Rarely if ever does a team win the Champions League without elite defensive numbers.
Just inside the top eight at the midway point of week five, they should get at least seven points from Monaco and Dinamo Zagreb at home and their trip to Girona, seventh in La Liga, on the final day. While more than a few breaks might be needed if Arsenal are to find themselves back in the title race, they are right where they need to be in the other competition that will really matter to Arteta.
Why should it be beyond them? With Real Madrid yet to get it together and Manchester City, I mean, just look, there is no obvious favorite for this competition right now. If an Odegaard-less Arsenal can largely have the better of Liverpool as they did a few months ago and can feel so hard done by to depart a meeting with Inter without a win, they can beat anyone at full tilt. The Premier League might look a long shot. The missing item in their trophy cabinet though? Count them among the favorites to win that.
