Arsenal 0-0 Sporting: Mikel Arteta leads Gunners to Champions League first in second leg stalemate

Arsenal created Champions League history with a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Gunners returned to the Emirates Stadium with a slender advantage after Kai Havertz scored a late winner in the Portuguese capital.

Mikel Arteta's side failed to add to their lead in Wednesday's second leg, but crucially, they kept Sporting at bay to play out a goalless draw and advance to the last four.

The Portuguese side rattled the woodwork in the first period, but they rarely looked like finding the net in a cagey second half that suited the north London club.

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Declan Rice reacts after Arsenal reach back-to-back Champions League semi-finals!@julesbreach

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Arsenal achieve club first with UCL quarter-final success

As a result of the 1-0 aggregate win, the Gunners will appear in the Champions League semi-finals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in their history. 

Prior to last season's semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal's two previous semi-final appearances took place in 2005-06 and 2008-09.

Under Arsene Wenger's watch, Arsenal beat Spanish side Villarreal 1-0 in the 2005-06 semi-finals, before falling to a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the final.

Three years later, the Gunners slumped to a heavy 4-1 aggregate defeat to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

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Gunners yet to achieve overall objective

While they will be pleased to be in another European semi-final, Arsenal will not be content unless they win at least one piece of silverware this season.

Their ultimate goal is to win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years after falling short in each of the last three seasons.

But they will also be desperate to become the seventh different English club to lift the European Cup/Champions League. 

Arsenal face Barcelona's conquerors Atletico Madrid in the last four - a team they beat 4-0 in the league phase. 

However, the Premier League leaders will already be thinking about Sunday's top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City, who sit six points adrift in second place with a game in hand.