Gabriel, Saliba and Odegaard scored a stunning 5-1 win

A sensational first-half performance put Arsenal on their way to their first Champions League away win of the season as they beat Sporting CP 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta’s side flew out of the starting blocks at the Jose Alvalade Stadium and Gabriel Martinelli converted Jurrien Timber’s superb cross after just seven minutes.

Kai Havertz then doubled the lead when he picked off Bukayo Saka’s pass before Gabriel Magalhaes rounded off a perfect first half with a powerful header from Declan Rice’s corner.

Sporting equalized shortly after the break through Goncalo Inacio, but Saka’s 65th-minute penalty ensured there would be no comeback before Leandro Trossard’s late header sealed a crucial win for the Gunners.

Arsenal player ratings

David Raya: Made some really sharp saves in the second half but couldn’t do anything with the goal. Crosses held his own brilliantly all night. 8

Jurrien Timber: Produced an excellent cross for Saka and opened the scoring. Great performance from a player who is looking better and better. 8

William Saliba: You could tell he loved fighting Gyokeres. Excellent performance from the Arsenal centre-back. 9

Gabriel Magalhaes: Was really ready for the game. It looked like he was trying to prove a point against Gyokeres. Great header to make it 3-0. 9

Riccardo Calafiori: His presence on the left simply makes the team look far more balanced. Showed some quality but will be disappointed to have lost his man for Sporting’s goal just after half-time. 7

Thomas Partey: Beautiful pass to send Saka away in the build-up to the second goal. 8

Declan Rice: Nice to see him back in the team. As always, he was everywhere on the field. With one effort, slit high and wide. 7

Martin Odegaard: Absolutely outstanding, especially in the first half. Everything Arsenal did went through him. 9

Bukayo Saka: A real threat throughout. Assisted the second goal and stayed cool to score the penalty at a really important time in the second half. 8

Kai Havertz: Couldn’t miss when Saka set it up. Carried the line well. 7

Gabriel Martinelli: Showed good intentions to get in front of his man and score the first goal early on. Lively representation. 7

Substitute

Mikel Merino: His powerful shot led to Trossard’s goal. 6

Leandro Trossard: Easy header to make it 5:1. Could be a really important goal for him after a difficult few weeks. 7

Ethan Nwaneri: A few nice touches in his short time on the pitch. N/A

Oleksandr Zinchenko: Played a nice long ball for Havertz. N/A

Jakub Kiwior: Replaced Gabriel late. N/A