Sporting Lisbon 0-1 Arsenal: Huge early boost for Mikel Arteta as Champions League semi-final nears thanks to Kai Havertz

Martin Zubimendi has avoided a ban ahead of Arsenal's second leg against Sporting Lisbon next week in the Champions League.

The Gunners travelled to Portugal for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, winning 1-0 on Tuesday night.

It looked as if the teams would settle for a draw, only for Kai Havertz to strike late and give the Londoners a slender lead before the second leg at the Emirates on April 15.

While the performance from Mikel Arteta's side was far from perfect, the head coach will have the luxury of not having to rotate his XI.

Midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard were both one yellow card away from serving a ban in their side's home clash with Sporting, but both avoided any bookings and are available.

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Declan Rice boost: Avoiding a semi-final ban in the Champions League

There could have been a bigger issue looming for Arteta given Declan Rice had received three yellow cards prior to Tuesday, meaning a booking in Lisbon would have meant he would be one yellow away from suspension ahead of the semi-final.

Having to make such a significant change against either Atletico Madrid or Barcelona could have proven problematic, and though missing the likes of Zubimendi would also have been damaging, it is hard to see Arsenal getting by without Rice.

Yellow cards reset after the the quarter-final stage, so Rice will be available for the semi-finals unless he is suspended for a red-card offence.

However, Zubimendi and Norgaard will still have to watch their step in the Emirates game against Sporting to avoid a suspension.

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Premier League title race: Arteta's Man City problem

Arsenal are arguably the best team in Europe, and they stand a strong chance of winning the Champions League this season if they field their strongest lineup, but they may soon face the prospect of having to prioritise competitions.

The Gunners will face Sporting in the second leg on April 15, four days before they take on Manchester City in a Premier League game that could ultimately decide the destination of the title.

While the tie with Sporting is currently in Arsenal's favour, they cannot risk rotating heavily, but starting key stars like Zubimendi could prove risky due to the possibility of injury or suspension.