LONDON -- The flame is still burning, but how brightly? Mikel Arteta claimed he wanted to see "no fear, pure fire" from Arsenal against Sporting CP on Wednesday, but in truth there were mere flickers.
A drab 0-0 draw in which they mustered one shot on target was enough to see the Gunners through to their second consecutive Champions League semifinal, a feat they achieved for first time in their history.
There have been a lot of these milestones of late, a reminder of the fine work Arteta has done in restoring Arsenal among the elite: most goals in a season, most wins in a season, most points in a calendar year.
But while these achievements are tangible measures of palpable progress, none have added up to the ultimate prize: trophies.
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And this was a performance that will not have silenced the doubts that continue to swirl around this side as they navigate the final weeks of the 2025-26 campaign.
There was a scare for the hosts in each half when Geny Catamo hit the post just before half-time and substitute João Simões fired wide in the dying seconds, but in truth Sporting never really threatened to score.
Arsenal deserve credit for that, managing the game in the second half with a resilience that wasn't translated to the scoreline.
But just as in Saturday's Premier League defeat to AFC Bournemouth, there were signs of fatigue which Arteta did little to hide afterwards, contained within praise of his players getting the result they needed in their 54th game of the season.
"There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you and it's very difficult to do what we've done," said Arteta. "When I see them track back when we lose the ball, the habits that they have, it's just amazing. That's why I know what they are doing, these players."
Arteta revealed that Declan Rice had defied all expectations to play after missing training on Tuesday, exhibiting a spirit that saw him made captain following a players' vote.
"Declan yesterday, he was shattered, he had no chance to play today, he wasn't feeling good at all today, [but] he played 94 minutes at the level that he's on," said Arteta. "Piero [Hincapie] the same, every single player is putting everything through the line to contribute, to give their best, and I really value that from the team.