William Saliba became the eighth different Arsenal player to score for the club in the Europa League this seasonArsenal secured a hard-earned draw against Sporting Lisbon in an entertaining Europa League last-16 first leg.
France defender William Saliba put the Premier League leaders ahead with a towering header from a corner by Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira.
But Arsenal's lead lasted just 12 minutes, Goncalo Inacio nodding home the equaliser after hesitancy from keeper Matt Turner following a corner by English winger Marcus Edwards.
In an absorbing game in the Portuguese capital, Paulinho fired Sporting ahead only for Arsenal to equalise through an own goal by Japan midfielder Hidemasa Morita.
Both teams created numerous chances in a free-flowing encounter.
Former Tottenham player Edwards was denied by Turner when the score was 1-1 and Paulinho wasted a great chance to make it 3-1 to the hosts before a wicked deflection off Morita made it 2-2.
Arsenal had a chance to take a lead back to Emirates Stadium for the return leg next Thursday (20:00 GMT) but Vieira's header was kept out by Antonio Adan.
Arteta faces balancing act in Arsenal's trophy hunt
Arsenal are chasing a first Premier League title since 2003-04 but Mikel Arteta clearly sees the Europa League as something worth winning rather than a distraction to the main prize.
Despite making six changes, he fielded several key players in Portugal including Gabriel Martinelli - Arsenal's leading scorer in the Premier League - and Bukayo Saka before Sunday's London derby at Fulham (14:00).
It is all to play for in seven days' time in the return leg against Sporting, but Arteta knows his side will have to improve defensively if they are to advance to the quarter-finals against opponents who started the season in the Champions League.
Poland defender Jakub Kiwior made his first Arsenal appearance since arriving in January from Serie A side Spezia for £17.6m while Turner produced a mixed performance after replacing first-choice keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The Gunners were sloppy at times and the two goals they conceded were poor by their recent standards.
They have conceded four goals in two games but, just as they did against Bournemouth at the weekend, they showed character after falling behind and continue to look a serious threat going forward.
Martinelli was denied after trying to clip the ball over the keeper at the start of the second half before the Brazil forward looked certain to score after a superb solo run only to be denied by a well-timed challenge by Jeremiah St Juste.
The games are starting to come thick and fast for the Gunners and Arteta knows he faces a fine balancing act as his side chase domestic and European honours.
Arsenal reached the last 16 by topping their group with five wins from six matches
Player of the match
XhakaGranit Xhaka
Sporting Lisbon
Squad number79Player nameYoussef Chermiti
Squad number18Player nameFatawu
Squad number26Player nameDiomande
Squad number10Player nameEdwards
Squad number25Player nameGonçalo Inácio
Squad number3Player nameSt. Juste
Squad number11Player nameNuno Santos
Squad number1Player nameAdán
Squad number4Player nameCoates
Squad number5Player nameMorita
Squad number2Player nameMatheus Reis
Squad number20Player namePaulinho
Squad number47Player nameRicardo Esgaio
Squad number28Player namePote
Squad number17Player nameTrincão
Line-ups
Sporting
Formation 3-4-2-1
1Adán
3St. Juste4Coates25Inácio
47de Sousa Esgaio5Morita28Pereira Gonçalves2Reis de Lima
10Edwards17Machado Trincão
20Dias Fernandes
1Adán3St. Juste4CoatesBooked at 23mins25Inácio47de Sousa EsgaioSubstituted forDiomandeat 76'minutes5MoritaBooked at 58mins28Pereira Gonçalves2Reis de Lima10EdwardsSubstituted forFatawuat 89'minutes17Machado TrincãoSubstituted forGomes dos Santosat 71'minutes20Dias FernandesSubstituted forRamalho Chermitiat 76'minutesSubstitutes
11Gomes dos Santos12Israel13Novo Neto16Costa Rocha18Fatawu26Diomande32Tanlongo33Gomes Lourenço77Borges Cabral79Ramalho Chermiti82Espanha Fernandes84EssugoArsenal
Formation 4-3-3
30Turner
4White12Saliba15Kiwior35Zinchenko
21Fábio Vieira20Jorginho34Xhaka
7Saka11Martinelli24Nelson
30Turner4White12Saliba15KiwiorSubstituted forGabrielat 71'minutes35ZinchenkoBooked at 23minsSubstituted forTomiyasuat 63'minutes21Fábio Vieira20JorginhoSubstituted forParteyat 71'minutes34Xhaka7Saka11MartinelliBooked at 43mins24NelsonSubstituted forSmith Roweat 71'minutesSubstitutes
1Ramsdale5Partey6Gabriel10Smith Rowe16Holding18Tomiyasu41Bandeira56Hillson71Sagoe Junior72Smith97WaltersReferee:Tobias StielerAttendance:36,006Live Text
Match ends, Sporting Lisbon 2, Arsenal 2.
Second Half ends, Sporting Lisbon 2, Arsenal 2.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Sebastián Coates.
Attempt saved. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by William Saliba.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Issahaku Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon).
Substitution, Sporting Lisbon. Issahaku Fatawu replaces Marcus Edwards.
Attempt saved. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben White.
Attempt missed. Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jeremiah St. Juste.
Foul by Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal).
Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ben White (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Pote (Sporting Lisbon).
Substitution, Sporting Lisbon. Youssef Chermiti replaces Paulinho.
Substitution, Sporting Lisbon. Ousmane Diomande replaces Ricardo Esgaio.
Offside, Arsenal. Granit Xhaka tries a through ball, but Gabriel Martinelli is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Jeremiah St. Juste (Sporting Lisbon).
Substitution, Arsenal. Emile Smith Rowe replaces Reiss Nelson.
Substitution, Arsenal. Gabriel Magalhães replaces Jakub Kiwior.
