Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Goncalves scored a remarkable goal from just inside the Arsenal half in their Europa League clash on Thursday, and it was enjoyed elsewhere in London
Arsenal went out of the Europa League on penalties after a remarkable Sporting Lisbon goal during the normal time at the Emirates Stadium – a strike that had been enjoyed on the other side of North London.
The Gunners bowed out of Europe after Gabriel Martinelli was the only player to see his penalty saved in the shootout after a stunning Pedro Goncalves strike had secured a 1-1 draw for the visitors on the night.
Granit Xhaka had put Arsenal 3-2 ahead on aggregate at a raucous Emirates Stadium, only for the 24-year-old Goncalves, who had a brief spell at Wolves earlier in his career, to catch out Ramsdale from just inside the Gunners half to level.
Speaking on Radio Five Live, pundit and former goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said: “What an absolutely unbelievable strike from Pedro Goncalves. He looks up and gets his head down straight away, seeing Aaron Ramsdale off his line.
“It looks like Ramsdale is going to get back to make the save but it just out of his reach and it smashes it into the back of the net.”
And Tottenham’s Portuguese right-back Pedro Porro, who joined Spurs from Porto on a loan with an obligation to buy the deal in January, immediately showed what he thought of the strike by tweeting “what a goal” not long after the ball had hit the net.
Arsenal made five changes for the second leg against Sporting as Gabriel Jesus returned to the starting line-up with the tie finely poised at 2-2.
Both Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were handed a rare rest as Jesus, back from knee surgery, came in to lead the line.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson were also drafted in while Ben White, Thomas Partey, and Leandro Trossard dropped out.
Arsenal went ahead inside 20 minutes, with Xhaka finishing coolly after Gabriel Martinelli’s initial shot had been saved by Antonio Adan.
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