Anxious Arsenal survive in Champions League but must now address debilitating weakness

It didn’t feel like Arsenal had just qualified for only their second Champions League semi-final in 17 years. The final whistle came with overwhelming but cautious relief rather than ecstasy; the feeling that Arsenal had got away with one by the skin of their teeth, but next time they won’t be so fortunate. Had Joao Simoes’s 94th-minute effort crept a few inches to the left, this last-eight tie was heading to extra time.

That would’ve been catastrophic for Arsenal’s physical state ahead of their biggest game of the season on Sunday. In their current mental state , Arsenal progression would not have been a safe bet. Mikel Arteta made a rallying cry in which he asked Arsenal’s supporters to come to the Emirates not with their dinner , but with “pure fire” and “zero fear” for the visit of Sporting .

Fans struggled to comply. There was less a fire in their bellies, more a collective knot. Mikel Arteta called Arsenal fans to bring ‘pure fire’ to the Emirates (Reuters) It was a stark comparison to this exact occasion 12 months ago.

When Real Madrid came to town, there was an atmosphere of unadulterated belief and optimism that this team could create magic. Maybe it helped that their Premier League title race had already been run at the time; Liverpool were 11 points clear, so their focus was streamlined. But on this night, there was more than a tinge of anxiety in the air, a hangover from still being very much in the thick of a title race, and one that has a yellow flag being waved.