Sporting Lisbon goal hero Pedro Goncalves mocks Granit Xhaka after Arsenal penalty agony
Pedro Goncalves, a star player for Sporting Lisbon, appeared to taunt Granit Xhaka in the aftermath of Arsenal’s Europa League defeat, adding insult to injury for the North London club.
Despite Xhaka giving Arsenal the lead with a celebratory gesture that seemed to be directed at his daughter, the Gunners were ultimately eliminated from the competition after a penalty shootout.
While Nuno Santos was the hero of the game for Sporting, Goncalves also made a name for himself with his impressive performance.
Pedro Goncalves, who previously played for Wolves, scored a spectacular equalizer by lobbing the ball over Arsenal’s goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from midfield after being given too much space in the center of the pitch.
Goncalves celebrated exuberantly after his goal, but it wasn’t until Sporting had won the match on penalties that he appeared to mimic Xhaka’s earlier celebration in front of the away supporters.
During the game itself, former Arsenal player Kevin Campbell was left purring over Goncalves’ goal. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “What an incredible strike by Goncalves. He’s spotted Ramsdale off his line.
“Arsenal have been very wasteful in the middle of the pitch. All second half, they’ve been giving the ball away.
“They’ve given the ball away but there seems to be no danger. What does Goncalves do? He pings the ball over Ramsdale from near the halfway line. It’s an incredible strike and now Arsenal have got it all to do. 1-1 and it’s going to be a hell of fight now
“It looked as though Arsenal were in no trouble and for somebody to produce a moment of quality like that, it’s incredible.”
Although Sol Campbell, a former Arsenal player, praised Goncalves’ impressive goal, the current Gunners’ manager, Mikel Arteta, was enraged by his team’s elimination from the Europa League.
Arteta criticized his players for their poor performance, particularly in the first 75 minutes of the match, during which they repeatedly surrendered possession. After the final whistle, Arteta stated that the defeat was a significant setback for the team.
“We didn’t have the capacity to dominate the game and take the game where we wanted. It’s true in the last 15 minutes, we had the chances and in extra-time, we had the chances to win it. When it goes down to the penalties, it’s a lot of uncertainty and we lost it.”
After their exit from the Europa League, Arsenal must now shift their focus to their pursuit of a domestic league title, which has eluded them for a significant period of time.
On the other hand, Sporting Lisbon will eagerly await Friday’s draw, where they could potentially face another Premier League team, Manchester United.
Sporting Lisbon goal hero Pedro Goncalves mocks Granit Xhaka after Arsenal penalty agony
