Football Daily - UCL Debrief: Havertz scores late Arsenal winner

Episode Date: April 7, 2026

Kelly Cates is joined by Andros Townsend, as well as John Murray and Matt Upson from Lisbon, to react to Arsenal's late 1-0 win over Sporting. The team discuss Arsenal's impact subs as Martinelli and Havertz combine to score a 91st minute winner for Arteta, who says "we deserve it." David Raya also pulled out a massive performance to keep Arsenal in the match in various stages in the second half.Then, Kelly is joined by reporters Maz Farookhi and Elizabeth Conway to reflect on Real Madrid's 2-1 loss at home v Bayern, before previewing Barcelona v Atletico Madrid.And finally, Ian Dennis and Paul Robinson join from Paris ahead of Liverpool's quarter-final against PSG on Wednesday. The team hear from Florian Wirtz, who says that he doesn't agree with van Dijk's comments about Liverpool "giving up"!Timecodes: 00:42 Reaction to Arsenal's late 1-0 win 13:18 Mikel Arteta reflects on his team's performance 15:07 Maz Farookhi & Elizabeth Conway discuss Real Madrid 1-0 Bayern 19:02 Barcelona v Atletico Madrid preview 22:46 Ian Dennis & Paul Robinson preview PSG v Liverpool 24:16 Florian Wirtz disagrees with van Dijk's "giving up" commentsLive / BBC Sounds commentaries: Wed 2000 PSG v Liverpool in UCL, Thu 2000 Bologna v Aston Villa in UEL, Sat 1500 Brentford v Everton in PL, Sat 1500 Burnley v Brighton in PL (Sports Extra), Sat 1730 Liverpool v Fulham in PL, Sun 1400 Sunderland v Tottenham in PL, Sun 1400 Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa in PL (Sports Extra), Sun 1400 Crystal Palace v Newcastle United in PL (Sports Extra 2), Sun 1630 Chelsea v Manchester City in PL.

On the Football Daily podcast, Champions League debrief with Kelly Kate. Hello and welcome to the Champions League debrief on the Football Daily podcast. Coming up, we'll be reacting to Arsenal's 1-0 win away against sporting club in Lisbon in the first leg of their quarterfinal. We'll hear from former Spurswinger and Ross Townsend shortly, as well as our commentary team of John Murray and Matthew Upsen out in Lisbon. We'll also discuss Real Madrid's 2-1 loss at home to Bayern, and we'll look ahead to Wednesday's quarter. quarter finals of Barcelona against Atlago Madrid and PSG against Liverpool. But let's start in Lisbon,

where John Arsenal beats sporting with a last minute winner from Kai Havertz. Yes, in this great maritime city, Arsenal have steadied the ship with their returning stars making a big impact, Rice in midfield at the heart of a controlled performance. But in a tight match, goalkeeper David Reyes saves were pivotal.

The Portuguese champions had won their last 17 home matches. So for Arsenal, to come and win here in the aftermath of their two recent cup defeats you could understand why there seemed to be an added feeling to their celebrations with the supporters who followed them here and the winning goal from substitute kai haverts the same man who scored in germany at the end of the first leg in the round of 16 and a fine goal it was another of the subs martinelli finding haverts has run into the box the old one two right foot left foot finish beautifully done and so a lead it is for Arsenal

and just like against Bayeva Kusen in the round of 16, you'd expect Arsenal to finish the job at the Emirates. Matt, it was a great substitution. Again, Mikhail Artecett's substitutions paying off. Kai Havert's coming on for the last 20 or so minutes

of that game and he has so many important goals for Arsenal. Yeah, he really does and switching the wide players as well, I thought it was a really good decision and he's done that a few times Michel Attaire with really good results. But Havert, he's just got such a calmness about me. He's got quite a languid style anyway.

And then his first touch and then the composure just to calm himself. And I mean, he made it look so as he just stroked it in, bottom corner with his left foot. But he ghosts into those little areas late nicely on the D on the edge of the 18-yard box. He just kind of sees that little space. He holds it. It doesn't go in too early. And then he's in there bang at the right time. And the ball from Martinelli was great.

So it all kind of came together there for Mikhail Ateta. And I thought Arsenal had the foundation and the basis of a really good performance this evening. It was just missing that final little piece which they brought right at the end of the game. So I mean, it's a top away European performance, really. But Matt, that's kind of been the story of a lot of Arsenal season. It's maybe just missing that final cutting edge. Look, it's not really done them any harm so far this season. But it is just a feature now of their performances.

Yeah, I mean, you know, you want to have it all, but you can't. And you have to do the best and the features that Mikhail Atetaa has developed in this team this season is clear to see. And they've done that very, very well. And I think up to like January, they did have the other side to them as well. And they, you know, they were blowing teams away. And it's been a hard couple of months for them. And they've had to overcome a lot. and you know, it starts to get tired

and mental fatigue and amount of games. It's all just kind of built up. And I think tonight was a great opportunity. We said before the game that you can reset it here. You're on the top stage playing in the top competition at a stadium and a club that are flying at home and almost unbeatable. And to keep a clean sheet and then win the game

and have a measured performance. I just think it's a really positive step for this group of players because they've got to hold it together now from all the way through in the Premier. league to the end of the season. It's really important for Arsenal. Andrus, you always want to have your best players available for every game. But one of the features of Arsenal this season has been that they have had this cover in pretty much every position. However, the big guns were the big gunners. We're back for this one, for this game against sporting. How much of a difference

did it make, particularly in the spine of the team? Yeah, a massive difference. I think that's probably something that Mikhail Arteceta identified over the summer. We have the first 11th, now. we need the depth. Yocores, Yokoaz, Maddo Oake, players who are not maybe going to fire them to the title, but they're going to provide cover and they've done that. But having Declan Rice back in that midfield, having Saliba back at the back,

just gave them that calmness, gave him that control. They know they can throw players forward. They know they can invert the full backs and put him into the half-space areas because they know Declan Rice is just going to cover in the number six position and Calofuri goes forward.

He's going to provide cover at the left-back position. He's just so smart. He's so clever. He's so important to this Arsenal side. And we saw that tonight in how we dominated that midfield along with Zubimendi. And Matt David Raya back in and made some really big saves in that game. Yeah, we didn't give him the credit in the save,

the one that hit the crossbar because we're too busy admiring the pass and the play from Sporting. We didn't get too much of a replay here. But when you do look at that replay, it does get a little fingertip to that shot. But I mean, it was more than just him. his involvement in those key points, which we can always see is right in front of you. I just think he had a presence and his communication with Gabriel and Sileber was good,

his decision making on when to go long. Arssel didn't take any unnecessary risks where they're invited pressure onto them, which is so easy to do. Certainly, you know, we see goalkeepers time after time playing out and then inviting those kind of problems in a tough fixture away. And he just made all the right calls in that sense. and I think they were very, very happy and welcome to happy's presence at the back again. And another player who's making such an impact

and has really grown into this season and actually has been really impressive in the last couple of games where Arsenal haven't got the win, Andros, is Max Damon who came on again, 16 years old, playing in the Champions League and looking like he was born to it. And he's just so fearless.

It's amazing to see young kids where they just don't feel the pressure, naive in a way, comes on. He doesn't think about what happens if he loses the ball, what happens if this or that, but he just gets the ball. He looks to be positive. He looks to take on his fullback. And it's amazing to witness. And he's not just a 16-year-old getting an opportunity. He's a player Artetto is looking for when he needs a goal. And that's the best compliment you can give Max Dalman. He is a game-changing now for this Arsenal side who are looking to win the Premier League and looking to go

far into the Champions League. Yeah, he's more than just a great story, isn't he, Matt? Yeah, I was just going to ask Andros about, Darwin, in the sense that is it me, Andrews? Has he got an unbelievable amount of grace and technical ability with the ball? He just looks like he's always creating time. Yeah, he is.

He's smart beyond his years the way. He's not just a typical fast winger with raw attributes. He's very good on the ball. He's got a cultured left for almost a Spanish kind of swagger about him. And it's amazing, For me, I'm 34 years of age and I'm looking at 16 year old and looking what he does and trying to take tips of him.

So it's amazing to see how much grace that 16 year old does have in the biggest moments. It is scary how good he is technically. I mean, I generally think he is generational talent, this lad. I don't think, I haven't seen a 15, 16 year old step onto the scene and look as good as him for a long, long time. He looks very special. I just hope that he gets developed in the right manner, which it looks like they are. They're not trying to push it too hard,

which I think is really important, but what a talent he is. Yeah, they're bringing him through very slowly and very carefully, but he's impressing every time he appears, Max Dowman. Just in terms of what this means for Arsenal and to put this back into context, Matt, obviously they come into this off the defeat by Southampton in the FA Cup, the defeat by Manchester City in the League Cup final.

and probably, if not a lot of pressure, probably as much pressure as they've been under so far this season, as much criticism as they've had so far this season or as many questions asked of them. Sporting did manage to have, what, four shots in the first 10 minutes of the game and they're the first team to do that this season against Arsul.

So there were still maybe those early signs that this may have a bit of a hangover arsul, but they put that completely to bed. Yeah, I think they got to grips with the game after that, to be honest. And I thought they were exploited a little bit in those full-backy areas and how quickly sporting. When they have that transition, they go all out.

I mean, that they really commit forwards. The full-backs go. You know, the left backer, I hope, the first 15 minutes. We just mentioned his name all the time. He was defending, then he was going forwards, and he was in the crossbar, then he was on the overlap. It was just bombing all the time. And the moment they got to grips with it, I thought Arsenal really kind of grew into

the game and started to be. be more controlled and more measured and stop those opportunities and nullify the time and the space and were just smarter with how they managed the game and I thought that was impressive for how the team did that and it's been a key feature of their season and they've been very very good at it and they've got to keep getting back to what has got them into this position in the first place and I thought they did that this evening. Do you think Ben White could be a slight weakness for Arsenal at the moment, struggled on the weekend against Southampton?

struggled in the early stages tonight, got caught out on two or three occasions. I think so. And I think, you know, it's like, Andrews, you're coming into key moments of the season, of huge scale games of your whole career. And, you know, he hasn't had a massive amount of football before this spell, has he? He's kind of come in and all of a sudden you've got to get up and running when you've been weeks and months off the pitch. So I don't think it's easy for him.

And I think, you know, you also come. come to terms of the fact that he hasn't been first choice, has he? So you've got to accept that. You've got to manage that thought process and still have the belief to think, I can step up and play at the top of the game when you've suffered that disappointment and coping with all of that. And I think you're right. I don't think his awareness of what's around him and that space has been quite right.

So he gets a little bit caught, and then it's too late because at this level, the ball's out there so quickly and the quality is so good that you haven't got that that second bite, have you, to get back in? and he just gets caught out on the other occasion. I think he'll want Jury and Timber, won't he, for the match at Manchester City. Yeah, and like I say, that doesn't help Ben White then step in it

because Timber's been so good and everyone can see how good Timbers been. So it does knock your confidence and that belief level a little bit. So he's got to step in and find that, and I think that is a tough challenge. Yeah, and that is a week on Sunday at Manchester City. And typically, Michael Oetetto is quite vague yesterday.

on when Timber might be back in the frame again. It's not going to be giving anything away ahead of a game that big. Look, having got the win in Lisbon, Matt, Arsenal, you would imagine go through to the semi-finals. They will, of course, be focused on getting the win at the Emirates as well, but they do have that advantage that they can take there. Looks like they're on the way potentially to the semifinals, the Champions League, for the second consecutive season.

It's the first time that they've managed to do that. This is shaping up to be a fantastic season for Arsenal. It looks like they've ridden out that little mini wobble. Yeah, it's all the Premier League, isn't it, Kelly? At the start of the season, that's what the objective was in my mind, is for Arsenal to win the Premier League. And they're still in a fantastic position to do. They've got a massive game coming up on Saturday.

It's going to be very, very difficult in between these two champions, league fixtures. And yeah, I suppose they are. I mean, we can't talk too early about going into the semi-final. They've put themselves in a really good position that you'd fancy if they turn up with the mentality and application they showed this evening at home. You do fancy them to go through and see this tied through to the semifinal. So I agree.

It's a great part of the season. There's lots to look forward to. And Arsenal is still, you know, right, in a really good position. So lots to get excited about it. had a very good night tonight. He has. And let me tell you, Kelly, when he came into the room yesterday,

into the media room here, he was, I have to say, he did look like a man whose team were under pressure. He was stern-faced. There were no laughs. There was only the occasional hint of a smile for him. It was properly serious.

So I think for the team to have the players tonight, for them to play the way that they did, and also, you know, his substitutes, Martinelli and Habertz to combine for the goal. It's been a very good night for him. Right, before we move on, let's hear from Arsenal manager, Mikhail Arteta. Yeah, extremely happy, obviously. It was a big night, a big moment in the season,

especially where we're coming from. I think we had a point to proof. And yesterday I talked about identity and the things that I wanted to see on that pitch. Seltzali happened, Seltzley was an unshift there. And then, yeah, we played an opponent, that it's very tricky, very difficult to play. That's the reason why they won 17 games in a row here.

They haven't lost for a long, long time. I really had to earn it. We had moments of real dominance with a lot of situations in and around the box without creating enough threads sometimes lacking to be a bit crispier, the movement a bit sharper, the final bow. But we took the game what we wanted. But after saying that, we knew as well that is a team extremely dangerous when they have space to run and they have two situations when David had to intervene in a brilliant way.

And then again, the story of the season, the finish is coming when the most important part of the game is about to happen and they make the difference for us to win it. When you have a difficult period, I think the best thing that you can do instead of talk a lot is observe. Look around you and see how people react. How they talk, how they look at you, how they judge you, what they do, do they look at themselves, do they start to criticize other people? Look around that you're going to learn the environment and the people that you have around you.

And I cannot be prouder to work in a club with people. That the only thing they could do is ask, what else can I do to help? And when you have people like this, I don't know if it's going to take another week or two, but something good will happen at the end because we deserve it. England's fifth spot in the Champions League is now secured, incidentally, because of Arsenal's 1-0 win. That might help Liverpool, who we will speak about shortly. But first, let's move on to the night's other quarter-final first leg.

Byon beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bonabeyu, and our reporter Mazfariuki was watching the match. Yes, and until a point in the second half, Real really had looked like they were. Well, at one point in this match, certainly in the first half, then Louis Diaz scored that goal early on just before half time, rather,

that really put Byron in the driving seat. And then they went well on top in the second half. The goal scored by Harry Kane, right at the start of the second half. it obviously put Bayan 2-0 up and it was almost like somebody had put a pin in a balloon really. Real looked incredibly deflated, out of ideas really.

But then Albao Albaoara did make the changes midway through the second half and in particular Jude Bellingham and there was one moment where Bellingham picked at the ball basically in Rial's own half. He burst forward despite being tracked by Bayon players forced his way away from them, put the ball through to Mbapé.

He nearly scored. And that really set the tone them for the last 20 minutes of how Real would finish this match. And that then allowed them to get that valuable Killian and Bapé goal, which could be so important for them to build on next week in the return leg. And again, that had a big contribution from another England player, Trent Alexander Arnold with the ball to Mbapé across the face of the Real goal. That really feels like it could be a key goal in this tie in a match that for vast minutes of it,

Bayern really did dominate. And that's why I think the buying players looked a bit pensive when the full-time whistle went, Kelly, because I think they felt they could have forced home their advantage a little bit more in the first leg of this quarter final. Maz, thank you very much for that. And we can bring in our BBC Spanish football reporter Elizabeth Conway, who's in Barcelona ahead of bars against Adletti tomorrow night. And it was at their first leg home defeat, Elizabeth, but not as bad as Maz was explaining as it looked at one point. And the, and the Bayern Munich players looking slightly deflated at the final whistle. But what would a Champions League? exit mean if it did happen for Alvaro Arbaloa? Well, it would be pretty disastrous for Alvaro Arbaloa, Kelly.

There's so much pressure riding on this second leg in Munich because Réard have been so inconsistent domestically. Look, they're losing to teams they should never lose to. Just last weekend, they lost 2-1 to Mallorca in La Liga. Bearing my own, my career, a team who will just be happy to stay in Spain's top league next season. They sit seven points behind Barcelona with a classical at camp now to go in May. The results aren't sitting in Arbalo's favour at all and the Champions League was a real chance to rectify that this season. So huge pressure riding on that second leg next week in Munich. Yeah and that

Killeen Abap goal just means that it's much more, there's a much greater opportunity rather for for Rail Madrid in that return leg in Germany. But it feels as though that Rail Madrid project is unraveling a bit, especially when you look back to the start of the season, when everything seemed so perfectly set up, they brought in Jabby Alonso, and it looked as though the, you know, the Madrid machine was going to keep on rolling. Well, it did, but as we've seen with Real Madrid, year and year out, the expectations and the pressure is so immense. And one defeat feels like the end of the club.

That's why we see the turnover in the manager, Alonzo out, and in came Arbella, with his very limited. senior coaching experience with his experience in the Castilla. We saw him today start Tiago Pittarch, again a product of the Academy in replacement of Bellingham. As Maz

said there, Bellingham came in and really shook up Real Madrid, but it's just been a season of inconsistency and that's something Real Madrid just won't stand for. So a lot riding on the end of this season and certainly their Champions League campaign. Let's talk about that, that Barcelona, Atletico

Madrid match that's going to take place. Wednesday night. They played each other three days ago. Barcelona won it. They're unbeaten in the last nine. They've got 19 goals in the last four home champions league game. The expectation is very much on them. Absolutely. Barcelona are just in top form at the moment and I'll go into the match tomorrow oozing with confidence. As you say, they beat Atletico just a few days ago in Madrid and just a few weeks ago, they thumped Newcastle at the camp now in the last 16. They're unbeaten in all competitions for almost two months. And their attacking talent is just phenomenal, led by 18-year-old Laminemarle. He was big talk in the press of today, as you can imagine. Hansi Flick

described him as just unbelievable. So there's certainly going to be a very formidable opposition for Atletico tomorrow. And also, if you look at the significance of this game for Athlete, Simioni rested a lot of key players against Barcelona at the weekend. So it doesn't, necessarily follow that the same patterns will play out in this fixture, but it also shows how important the Champions League is to them? Look, absolutely. There's no doubt Simione's really prioritising this Champions League. Adletico's position in La Liga is relatively secure. They're currently fourth, one point behind Villarreal, 19 points behind leaders Barcelona. So Simioni could really afford to rotate his squad without jeopardising that top finish at the weekend in La Liga.

of course, Atlatco have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to in just a few weeks but again, that's just one match rather than this sustained Champions League campaign so it means tomorrow they'll have some real key starters Luckman, Alvarez, Hansko to name a few who will be fresh and ready to take on a very strong Barcelona side.

It's going to be a great game, I'm really looking forward to it. And John Murray, you saw the Barcelona game against Newcastle. They are something special this season, aren't they? Yeah, they are. And also, I think that new camp, factor is a big thing as well because I mean we felt it when we were there that extraordinary match against Newcastle and the experience of going there Liz was with us you know in the in the building site that there is a 60,000 capacity stadium I still can't quite get my head around the fact that

they do that and and you know they've got something special there because they're seeing their team back in that stadium playing in Champions League knockout ties so you know it's it's a huge fact It is, you know, for Athletico Madrid, of course, they have got a brilliant home ground as well. And I certainly wouldn't underestimate them, but you have to see Barcelona as the favour. It's the way that they are right now. Elizabeth, John Murray, Matt Uppson, Andros Townsend, thank you very much for joining us. Coming up, we'll be looking ahead to the other quarterfinal on Wednesday night, PSG against Liverpool with our commentary team in Paris of Ian Dennis and Paul Robinson.

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Listen on BBC Sounds. On the Football Daily Podcast. Champions League debrief with Kelly Cates. Welcome back. The Champions League action continues on Wednesday night. We're bringing new commentary of Paris-Sangeman against Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg on 5 live. That kicks off at 8 o'clock.

So let's bring in our commentary team for that game. Ian Dennis and former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson are amongst the Parisian locals. Ian Liverpool in great need of something to rescue their season, but some test they've got against PSG. Absolutely it is. And also I think not only is it a test for Liverpool, but I think it could be defining for the manager,

Arna Slot, who is becoming under increasing pressure, especially after their capitulation at the weekend against Manchester City. And, you know, I mean, there were some worrying comments there about the, from the Captain Virgil Van Dyke we gave up. So Bosslis was also critical as well, saying the mentality wasn't there enough. And I just think that they're going to go in to a game against a Paris-Sangaman side

of when their last four matches and they are going to face a really intense Paris-Sangaman side and it was funny that Arna Slot earlier today said that at the weekend we didn't deserve to lose 4-0 but we did deserve to lose

4-0 in the corresponding fixture when they met here in the last 16 last season and the worry is I think from a lot of Liverpool supporters they're going to travel with a lot of trepidation is that what happens if Paris San Jemans score first and they do have a habit of scoring at home, you know, will goals two, three and four follow as they did for that 20 minute period at the weekend? Well, Ian, as you said,

Virgil Van Dyck suggested that Liverpool had given up in that game. Florian Verst said earlier, he wasn't aware of Van Dyck's comments and that he doesn't agree with his captain. I didn't know about this, that he said this. But I think, yeah, I would not agree directly because we still try to create chances to turn the game around. Of course, when the game gets longer and it's like in the 80th minute or something and you are 3-0 back, then it's mentally also difficult to go and go. And we just try to give our best in the game also when it was 3-0 or 4-0. I think we had also still a few chances then.

disagrees with Virgil Van Dyck and saying that they were still creating chances late on into the game. But maybe it's no surprise that he and a central defender have a different opinion because Liverpool have let in 18 goals in the final 20 minutes of league games.

That's two more than any other team. So the perspective is going to be different because that's clearly where the issue is. So if it's not about giving up, what is it? Well, I think you listen to what the captain has said. And I think when you when he uses those type of words,

it's, you could see him actually. When I watched the game against Manchester City, he was actually striding into midfield. He was trying to instigate the press, you know, what they'd been told to do, he didn't feel that other players in and around him were doing. I don't think that this is a game

that Liverpool need at the moment. I think they're playing against a very, very good Paris-Andaman side. Louis Enrique, at the risk of using a horse racing analogy, he's a very good jockey. He produces his horse at the right time in the race. And actually,

you're a very, very difficult team to play against. And for Liverpool, now, if they're not pressing, and Virgil Van Dykes turned around and said, you know, we've lost that. It's very, very difficult for them to come here against a team that will press high. They will try and win the ball in the final third. They'll look to, you know,

it's a very, very difficult game for Liverpool, in all honesty. And the unharmonie in the dressing room is apparent at the moment. Ian, Paul, thank you very much. Commentary of PSG against Liverpool is on 5 Live, Wednesday night at 8 o'clock. But that's all we've got time for on this episode of the Football Daily podcast. Thank you very much for listening. Bye-bye.

Hello, I'm Tyler West. And I'm Alfie Watts. And this is The Detour, the official companion podcast to race across the world. This is the post-episode checkpoint where you'll hear the latest chat around each episode from us and our race superfan special guests. Plus, I'll be joined each week by a resident travel expert, Alfie. That's you, ma'am. I'll be revealing my optimal way to travel through each leg, including visits to all of those unmissable detours along the way. And we'll also have some not seen anywhere else exclusive content at the end of every episode. I cannot wait.

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