Gabriel mocks Viktor Gyokeres celebration as Arsenal thrash Sporting

On Tuesday night, Arsenal thrashed defending Portuguese champions Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon, producing their best Champions League performance.

At the Estadio Jose Alvalade, the Gunners were unrelenting in their quest for the win, and they rode a first-half dominance to take a three-goal lead.

Arsenal displayed the poise of a Champions League team growing in confidence. Sporting cut the lead after halftime, and a little wobble almost derailed what had been a smooth evening for the visitors. The rejuvenated Gunners performed flawlessly away, significantly extending their advantage after the hour mark.

Here are several essential takeaways from Arsenal’s uplifting performance in Portugal, which propelled them to the top of the league phase standings.

Arsenal rise where Man City fell

Manchester City travelled to Lisbon at the start of November for all the wrong reasons. The unstoppable Sporting team humiliated the defending Premier League winners with a 4-1 thrashing.

Although Arsenal found Sporting a more susceptible target after Ruben Amorim’s departure (now at Manchester United), Tuesday’s match was expected to be a very challenging test for a club that has failed to win on the road in Europe this season.

But Arsenal brought the confidence and swagger that top teams need when playing away in the Champions League. The Gunners had a fantastic first half, pressing Sporting relentlessly and punishing them with well-taken goals.

Despite a little stutter after halftime when Sporting scored a goal back, the visitors displayed the maturity, experience, and skill needed to secure a resounding victory.

The impact of Martin Odegaard

The performance on Tuesday should have been enough to prove how important Martin Odegaard is to Arsenal. When the Norwegian wasn’t on the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s team seemed depleted, unable to crack up defences or break down low blocks.

Odegaard intended to prove his worth to the north London club from the beginning of their match in Lisbon. He was at the heart of Arsenal's supremacy, dictating the pace and picking out precise passes with a swing of his miraculous left foot.

Odegaard failed at several of his attempts. An overly daring through ball or chip went over the bar, but overall, they passed that the other red-and-whites at Arsenal either don’t see or aren’t ready to try.

After the hour mark, Odegaard capped off an outstanding performance by winning Arsenal’s penalty, which helped seal the deal.

Bukayo Saka runs riot

No one has ever questioned Bukayo Saka’s genius, and games like Tuesday’s only solidify his status as one of the most deadly attackers in sport. Odegaard and Jurrien Timber helped Arsenal to overwhelm Sporting’s left flank from the opening whistle, as the Gunners mostly played on the wings. The strategy relied heavily on Saka, who used his speed and straight running to torment opponents like Maximiliano Araujo and Hidemasa Morita, who was covering for him.

With Saka’s experience and understanding, England's winger deserved nothing less than a goal and an assist after another electric performance down the side. Saka could also draw fouls to alleviate pressure or slow the game down.

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