Arsenal is out of the Europa League, with Sporting Clube shocking the Premier League leaders on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate finish to their round of 16 tie.
Granit Xhaka gave the Gunners a first-half lead at the Emirates Stadium, but a Pedro Gonçalves goal from 46 yards brought the Lisbon club back to equal footing in the 62nd minute.
Sporting — who finished with 10 men after Manuel Ugarte’s late second yellow card — held on for dear life in extra time, with Leandro Trossard hitting the post on a breakaway.
In the penalty kick tiebreaker, Aaron Ramsdale was close on two different Sporting attempts, but Antonio Adán’s save on Gabriel Martinelli was all the difference, with Sporting advancing 5-3 on penalties.
Wait, hold on a second. We may have passed over something a bit too quickly. A goal from 46 yards?
Well, yes. Paulinho and Jorginho clashed over a loose ball at midfield, where Gonçalves pounced to take control. Left with the space left open by Jorginho stepping up, Gonçalves took a touch, and spotted Ramsdale’s positioning: well off his line, as is appropriate when your team is pushed up high.
Ramsdale read Gonçalves’ intentions and began backpedaling, but it was too late. The Sporting playmaker only had eyes for goal, launching a shot from what UEFA later said was 46 yards out over the England goalkeeper.
PEDRO GONÇALVES CAUGHT AARON RAMSDALE OFF OF HIS LINE!
ASTONISHING GOAL! 😳 pic.twitter.com/DohIEkSiBt
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 16, 2023
It didn’t determine the outcome, but it was the moment of magic Sporting needed to get a goal that otherwise might never have arrived.
Enjoy (or if you’re an Arsenal fan, hate-read) how the internet reacted to Gonçalves’ incredible strike.