Hayters Live Blog
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Live updates from the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal take on Sporting in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final.
“I don’t know if the context and reality are very aligned. I wish we were doing the Arsenal documentary this season and you can film the last 48 hours and everything that’s been said.
“We have to ask ourselves the question, if we watched it in July and asked ourselves where are Arsenal placed? All of us would say, they are in the bottom three. What are we talking about guys? Please. Enjoy where we are as a club. If someone doesn’t want to do it, so be it.
“We are enjoying it a lot and huge gratitude to the players and our supporters. Thank you.”
“Declan yesterday, he was shattered. He had no chance to play today. He wasn’t feeling good at all today and he played 94 minutes at the level he has done. Piero the same. Every single player.
“He’s putting everything on the line to contribute, to give his best, and I really value that for the team.”
“I don’t know, it was something in his knee so we had to take him off. I don’t know the extent of that.”
“Gratitude to them. I know the effort and commitment they put in. There’s a lot of work behind it. We’ve done something that has never been done in the history of our club so that tells you the difficulty of it.
“We had to do it in a special way, missing a lot of important players.
“Especially happy for our supporters because they were right behind the team today and we’re going to have another two big nights.
“I know what they are doing, these players. It’s why we are only the English team left in the competition. This league and this schedule takes the hell out of you and it’s very difficult to do what we’ve done.
“We are not perfect. We need to improve things for sure, we recognise that, but let’s value what these players have done because they deserve it.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “It’s a massive moment, the first time in our history, 140 years, that we are in back-to-back Champions League semi-finals.”
Declan Rice speaking to TNT Sports on the draw today: “Frustration? Nah. We’ve just got to a semi-final. No frustration. Positivity all the way.
“Who cares what people think? All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks and we’re in another semi-final.
“Delighted. So, so happy. It was a really tough test over two games but to go back-to-back semi-finals is an amazing achievement for this group and now we want to go one step further than last year and get to the final.
“We played Atletico once this year and it was a really good game and we know what to expect so bring on these last couple of weeks.”
Arsenal are through to back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time!
Sporting get the ball into the box but Raya catches.
The Portuguese side have one last chance with a long throw.
It’s an Arsenal corner and Declan Rice blazes the ball over everyone and off the pitch.
There will be four minutes added on.
Francisco Trincao and Eduardo Quaresma are replaced by Ricardo Nel and Giorgos Vagiannidis.
Gabriel Jesus dribbles past Ousmane Diomande and into the Sporting box, but his effort hits the side netting.
Dowman’s corner towards the back post is met by Trossard, but his header hits the post!
Maximilano Araujo is shown a yellow card for a foul.
Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze are replaced by Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard.
Hidemasa Morita is replaced by Joao Simoes.
Arsenal’s corner evades everyone and almost goes in at the back post.
Replays show Silva got a touch.
Eze blasts the ball into row Z with his latest effort.
Geny Catamo and Pedro Goncalves are replaced by Geovany Quenda and Daniel Braganca.
Mikel Arteta is shown a yellow card.
Catamo’s shot deflects into the path of Goncalves, and it looks like Cristhian Mosquera shoves him over, but the referee doesn’t agree and awards a corner.
Madueke can’t continue, and is replaced by Max Dowman.
Noni Madueke is on the floor and looks to be in pain.
He collided with a Sporting player and is now receiving treatment.
Noni Madueke runs around the Sporting defence before unleashing a shot into the side netting.
Kai Havertz replaces Viktor Gyokeres.
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