77 min: Edwards has a cross blocked on the right but gets another chance to whip it in. Ramsdale sticks out his mitts and catches it clean. Just that lack of precision from Sporting. Had they been sharper they’d be out of sight in this second half.

76 min: Martinelli is down after St Juste climbs all over him and headers it away. It’s legal, but Martinelli felt that.

75 min: Ramsdale is alright and it’s a corner for Sporting. They play it short. Not sure why. It’s a complete waste. Still, they find a chance to shoot but it’s never troubling the Arsenal goal as Goncalves is leaning back throughout the strike.

73 min: What a save! That’s is as good as a goal from Ramsdale. Sporting burst through the middle after winning the ball back. Edwards is on side and is one on one with the Arsenal keeper. The shot is firm and heading towards goal. Actually, it’s hit Ramsdale flush in the face and he’s down for the time being. He’ll happily wear that. He doesn’t look comfortable and is receiving medical attention. Hope he’s OK. That was brave goalkeeping.

Yellow card: Arsenal (Holding, 72)

70 min: Arsenal with a bit of the ball to play with. They’ve lost their midfield it seems and Trossard has to come deep to help. He’s crowded out but it breaks for Martinelli who shakes off his marker. The ball works its way down to Saka on the right who delivers a decent ball in the box. But there’s a foul as Sporting get in the way and Arsenal have to start again.

68 min: The corner is cleared but not very far and it’s sent right back in the mix. A sort of up and under rugby style. Holding clears. Anywhere will do. But Sporting have it back and recycle. They lose their patience and so Arsenal, with Ramsdale’s hands on the ball, can take a breath.

67 min: Sporting are dominating this. They steal the ball back with Trincao dancing about, flicking and flacking. A shot comes in and it dribbles for a corner. The set piece is fizzed in to the near post and it’s headed out for another. The away fans can sense the shifting of the tides.

66 min: Arteta has recongised that things need to change so he’s making a double switch. Partey and Saka are on to add some extra zip. Nelson and Jorginho are off.

65 min: Another huge chance for Sporting. Paulinho headers just, and I do mean just, over the bar from a corner. Arsenal are losing control of this.

That goal was a thing of beauty but it’s also a consequence of Arsenal giving the ball away. They were in possession which is why Ramsdale was off his line. But the swift change meant he was caught out and Goncalves took full advantage. Just brilliant!

GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Sporting (Goncalves, 61)

60 min: A good ball from the left towards the centre circle from Gabriel gets things going for Arsenal. The ball is shovelled on for Viera who finds Xhaka at the far post. The skipper nods it back for Trossard making a late run but he can’t bring it down. Goal kick. Better from Arsenal.

58 min: Sporting are passing it well but it’s all in front of Arsenal’s back four. What’s lacking is a good ball in the box or one in behind. Trincao has come alive in this second half. Arsenal give the ball back twice in two minutes. They look rattled for some reason. Sporting rising.

57 min: Arsenal starting to see more of the ball. Just slowing things down, catching their breath. Zinchenko can’t bring down a Ramsdale lob and Sporting have it back. The visitors are putting extra pressure on the Arsenal left back. They’ve spotted something there.

55 min: Another Zinchenko mistake sees possession change. Sporting have a throw in the right but the Ukrainian makes up for his transgression and exert pressure to get the ball back.

That was very solid work from Holding who made sure Paulinho’s firm shot never reached Ramsdale. He stuck to his task superbly.

54 min: A poor pass from Zinchenko gifts the ball away. Sporting build slowly before unleashing Paulinho who gets a shot away inside the box on the right but it’s blocked.

Yellow Card! Sporting (Ugarte, 53)

Really good from Ramsdale. He had to dive in front of the Sporting forward making a dart to the near post.

51 min: Ramsdale needed to be sharp there to snuff out the danger from a wicked low cross from the right from Esgaio. Sporting all over their hosts.

49 min: Goncalves takes the ball 40 yards to the edge of the box and as he’s about to shoot he’s brought down. No foul but Sporting get it back. It finds its way to Goncalves who lets off a hopeful shot that sails high over the bar. Sporting definitely the better of the two in this second period so far.

47 min: Good start for Sporting. Ugarte jiggles through a crowd on the left and plays in a diagonal for Pualinho on the run. He eventually dinks a ball to the back post but the attack doesn’t materialise into a shooting chance. Still, nice play that started with the goalkeeper.

OK then. We’re off. It’s bucketing down in north London. Arsenal 45 minutes away from a European quarterfinal.

“Hi Daniel,” good evening Peter Oh.

“If my sources are reliable, Sporting not-of-London have as many London-born players on the pitch as Arsenal London (Marcus Edwards and Reiss Nelson).”

Global village, innit?

Jesus is off! Likely always the plan just to give him 45 minutes. Trossard will start the second half.

To our grumpy reader before the game, it is actually Arsenal London in some parts of the world:

The highlights on BT are proving my point. Sporting have had their moments. Edwards down the right and Paulinho through the middle have both shown how dangerous they can be. Both have shown jet heels and with a bit more decisive action and thought they might have found a better scoring chance.

“Greetings from Virginia Dan,” hi Eagle Brosi. I really hope that’s your real name.

“That poor ref, blocking Zinchenko from the corner was probably innocent but it’s going to be used by countless YouTubers as further proof of the big ref conspiracy against Arsenal. Here’s hoping that’s the only incident this game.”

Half Time: Arsenal 1-0 Sporting

45+4 min: It’s a firm strike from Ugarte after some probing and prodding from Sporting. Someone had to put their boot through the ball and he duly does so. It takes a nick and goes out for a corner, whistling past the outside post.

Yellow Card! Arsenal (Xhaka, 45+3)

45+2 min: White plays a long ball over the top for Jesus. That’s the third time by my count that he’s looked to find the Arsenal front man that way down the right flank. Something to keep an eye on.

45+1 min: Four minutes of added time. That corner is too deep and there’s no one on the back post for Sporting. Ooo, was Jorginho holding on to a Sporting player? He was. But not firm enough to go to VAR.

45 min: ~Sporting have a corner after Edwards’ shot from the right of the Arsenal box is deflected. Good work in the build up.

43 min: Sporting fighting back now. But they’re picked off in midfield again. Martinelli has it wide left before Sporting win it back. Edwards down the right but there’s no space to Paulinho and the attack dissipates.

42 min: A poor ball offers a reprieve for Arsenal. Sporting have a three on three break and Edwards has Paulinho to his left. A decent pass would have him through on goal but he over hits it and it dribbles out for a goal kick. A real let off there.

40 min: Ramsdale has to play sweeper as a long ball needs seeing to. Paulinho collects the ball on the halfway line and drives, and drives and drives until he’s on the edge of the box and shoots. But it’s miles wide. Still, shows how small the margins are.

39 min: Jorginho gets a talking to for a late challenge in midfield. Sporting just can’t get the ball. Arsenal swarm them at every turn. White plays it long but it’s no good. Doesn’t matter. Viera wins it high up the field.

Sporting slowing things down. They need to get a handle on it or else they’ll get blown away.

38 min: Oh, someone shoot! A little too cute from Arsenal. Not that it would have counted as they’re pulled up for off-side. Martinelli this time. He’s causing all sorts of problems down the left.

As Matthew Carpenter-Arevalo points out, the referee has a name. It’s Antonio Mateu Lopez, “of Argentina-Netherlands fame’”. Thanks Matt.

35 min: Martinelli has to retrieve a ball in the left corner and does so with the utmost composure. He had no business making it look that easy. He even works the space to play a ball for Jesus who has his dancing shoes on but he can’t orchestrate a shooting opportunity from the inside right of the box. Arsenal think they should have had a corner after a neat one-two between Jesus and Nelson.

34 min: Zinchenko works his way out of a tight spot and Xhaka launches another attack. It’s worked down the left and recycled for Gabriel. He has nowhere to go so feeds White. The crowd groan. Something was on there but Arsenal are patient. They’re building again with Xhaka and Jorginho biding their time.

32 min: Arsenal are in the zone here. They’re so sharp. Even when playing short passes at the back they look like a team on a mission. Xhaka dictating the tempo in the quarterback role. Viera running about like. White clips a ball for Martinelli but he’s offside. Credit to the high line from Sporting.

30 min: Brilliant from Jesus. He gets the ball under pressure outside the box. He drops his shoulder, beats one, then another, worms his way into the box and shoots. He tries to sneak it into the inside post and it’s well saved. Just wonderful footwork.

28 min: The referee gets in the way of Zinchenko at the top of the box but Arsenal recycle it. Martinelli has a shooting chance and he obliges but Adan saves. Sporting counter and Edwards has a shot inside the Arsenal box after bringing a bouncing ball down. Zinchenko, galloping across the length of the field, blocks the shot.

27 min: Jesus picks up a loose ball and drives down the middle. He plays it short to the left and Zinchenko puts Martinelli into space on the overlap. The cross os blocked. Corner.

26 min: Arsenal counter with Viera and he feeds Martinelli down the right. Jesus has it on the left and dinks one for Martinelli in the box. But it’s too long.

Yellow card! Arsenal (Viera, 24)

22 min: Arsenal are thrumming now. Jesis wriggles down the right and wins a throw-in after some neat work. He’s put in space again and drives to the box. He’s fouled! Is that a penalty? No! He was offside when he received the ball. Lucky for Sporting.