Morten Hjulmand did not do well after the Champions League match between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal. At the final whistle, the Portuguese captain criticized the way the players played Gunnersbelieving that their performance offered nothing spectacular for a neutral audience.
The Gunners, however, qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the second consecutive season by preserving their advantage acquired in the first leg (1-0), thanks to a goalless draw in the return. Although Mikel Arteta’s side qualified, the encounter was overall lackluster, with an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.93, the lowest in the competition this season. The xG, a statistical indicator which assesses the probability that a shot will turn into a goal based on historical data, thus confirms the lack of danger in front of the goal.
Sporting had their best opportunity, Geny Catamo hitting the post, but the Portuguese champion never found his rhythm, the match being constantly chopped up by the Londoners’ tactical slowdowns.
The midfielder, sometimes mentioned for a transfer to the Premier League, did not hide his frustration: “If I were a neutral spectator, this is not how Sporting would want to show themselves. We want to score, create chances, and we didn’t do that. »
He called Arteta’s team “just boring” and criticized their defensive attitude. “During the match, I felt a lot of interruptions, especially during restarts, and that wastes a lot of time. When we found our rhythm, we created a lot of chances, especially in the first half. But in the end, to be honest, we didn’t create enough to win the game. »
On Sunday, Arsenal will play a decisive away match against Manchester City; a defeat would allow the home team to reduce the gap to just three points, with a game in hand. For its part, Sporting makes its return to Liga Portugal with a home match against José Mourinho’s Benfica.
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