Arsenal progressed into the Champions League semi-finals by overcoming Sporting CP on Wednesday night, with Mikel Arteta matching a Jurgen Klopp achievement in the process.
The Gunners strolled into the last four by controlling a bright Sporting side for 180 minutes. The second leg at the Emirates may have been a goalless stalemate, but Arteta’s side had a strong grip on the game and were able to see it through with little drama or chaos.
Atletico Madrid await Arsenal in the last four, and the North Londoners will therefore be confident in their ability to reach the final of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2006. Arteta’s men have already comfortably seen off Atletico this season, thrashing Diego Simeone’s team 4-0 at the Emirates in the league phase back in October.
Mikel Arteta breaks into exclusive managerial club with Arsenal’s Champions League progression
Arsenal’s tie against Sporting wasn’t pretty, but the Gunners ultimately did what was required. They contained the Portuguese giants effectively across two legs and scored a decisive goal via Kai Havertz in the dying embers in Lisbon.
The reward for this is a clash with a beatable Atletico Madrid team, and the North Londoners may subsequently feel as though they’ll never have a better opportunity to reach a Champions League final.
After all, they’ve been at this stage of the competition before and now have experience of attempting to navigate a two-legged tie of this magnitude. Last season, the Gunners were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.
This was just the third Champions League semi-final Arsenal have ever taken part in, with the previous two last-four encounters coming in 2006 and 2009. Thus, Wednesday’s progression against Sporting means this is the first time in the North London club’s history that they’ve reached back-to-back Champions League semi-finals.
This feat also places Arteta in an exclusive managerial club. The Spaniard becomes just the fifth manager in history to take a Premier League team to consecutive semi-finals in this prestigious competition.
Mikel Arteta has become just the fifth manager in history to take a Premier League team to back-to-back Champions League semi-finals 👏 pic.twitter.com/RBzT0LTx1Y
— Ben Littlemore (@blittlemore10) April 16, 2026
Only Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool (2017-2019), Rafael Benitez with the Merseysiders (2006-2008), Pep Guardiola with Manchester City (2020-2023) and Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United (2006-2009) have achieved this before Arteta.
Whatever ultimately happens this season, this is a glowing reflection on the divisive Gunners boss’ credentials.
Arsenal are well equipped to face Atletico Madrid
Arsenal should be extremely confident heading into the tie with Atletico. Not only have they already beaten the Spanish side comfortably this season, but this is also just a very good match-up for the Gunners.
While not as inherently conservative as they once were, Atletico still play a relatively pragmatic style, similar to the style Arteta adopts at Arsenal. However, the Gunners are better than Simeone’s team at making a game a non-event and stifling the opposition.
Arsenal limited Atletico to under one expected goal at the Emirates back in October, and they should be able to replicate this defensive resilience over two legs in the semi-finals. If they can completely shut out the Madrid outfit’s threat, then they should be able to nick a goal or two via a set-piece or by exploiting some of the weak areas of Atletico’s defence.
It’s set up nicely for the Gunners, and they really ought to be making their way to Budapest in late May.
