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Gunners draw 0-0 at Emirates Stadium but win 1-0 on aggregate ahead of huge title duel with Man City Arsenal kept their dream of winning a first UEFA Champions League alive after edging past Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals. Holding a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg in Portugal, the Gunners were unable to add to their aggregate advantage at Emirates Stadium, managing just one shot on target. But Arsenal’s defence held firm once again to set up a last-four tie with Atletico Madrid, the first time the club have reached back-to-back Champions League semi-finals in their history. “It’s a massive moment, ” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “We are making steps that haven’t been done at this club in 140 years. “To be part of the last four is very special. Big gratitude to the players. ” Stand-in captain Declan Rice, who managed 90 minutes despite missing training on Tuesday, added: “To go back-to-back semi-finals is an amazing achievement for this group. We now want to go one step further than last year and get to the final. ” Next up for Arsenal is Sunday’s huge Premier League title showdown with Manchester City, who sit six points behind them in the table with a game in hand. “It’s why you play the game, ” said Rice. “We will be ready to go and it’s how much you want it. “I know I will be ready and the boys will be ready, so let’s go. Bring on the last few weeks. ” Arsenal, though, have selection issues ahead of the trip to Etihad Stadium, with Noni Madueke their latest injury concern after he limped off against Sporting with an apparent knee injury. On Wednesday night, the Gunners were without first-choice full-backs Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, who also sat out the AFC Bournemouth loss with respective injuries last weekend. In their absence, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie came into the defence, replacing Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly from the weekend. Eberechi Eze was also brought in for first-leg goalscorer Kai Havertz, to make his first start in a month following a calf injury. But Bukayo Saka was not in Arsenal’s squad for the fourth consecutive match as he continues to nurse an Achilles injury, which Arteta hopes he will recover from in “days not weeks”. Martin Odegaard also missed his second straight game with a knee issue he picked up in the first leg in Lisbon. Writing in Wednesday night’s programme, the Arsenal captain said: “I had to go off during the second half of that game in Portugal last week, feeling my knee, which is why I missed the game at the weekend. “I caught it a little bit against Sporting, but hopefully it shouldn’t be too bad. ” While not in the squad, Odegaard was one of five Arsenal players to feature on a giant tifo unveiled by fans before kick-off, which included the caption, “History in our sights”. But fresh from their shock against Bournemouth at the weekend, the Premier League leaders again looked jittery against Sporting. Possession was no problem for the hosts, who completed 146 passes inside the opening 30 minutes, the second most they have managed in a home Champions League match this season. Yet Arsenal’s players were lacking the “fire” Arteta had called for in his pre-match press conference, particularly their front three of Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres. Coming into this match, the Gunners’ average Expected Goals (x G) when the trio have played together was as low as 0. 14 – and their efforts on Wednesday will have hardly helped that statistic. In contrast, Sporting looked threatening when they had the ball and Geny Catamo hit the post just before half-time with a low volley from the right-hand side. It was a huge let-off for Arsenal, who have conceded only three first-half goals in their last 12 Champions League games. After the break, Madueke finally came alive and crashed into the side netting after a powerful run, only for his night to be prematurely ended when he went down holding his knee. He was replaced by 16-year-old Max Dowman, while the quiet Gyokeres – playing against the club he left last summer – made way for Havertz after only 56 minutes. Another substitute, Leandro Trossard, went closest for Arsenal with a header against the post from Dowman’s corner, while fellow replacement Gabriel Jesus hit the side netting. In contrast to Bayern Munich’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid in the night’s other quarter-final, this match had the lowest combined x G of any Champions League match this season, with just 0. 93. But it ultimately mattered little for Arsenal, who remain the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League, with a Double still in their sights. “We just got to a semi-final, it’s positivity all the way, ” added Rice, when asked by TNT Sports if the performance was frustrating. “Who cares what people think? All that matters is what this group think, what the manager thinks and we're in another semi-final.   “We'll keep going. Keep playing well. Keep getting over the line and bring it on. Bring on everything. “Our record this year has been amazing in all competitions. Like being at any other top club, there's noise with everything. But if you don’t play well, you have to take it with a pinch of salt and keep moving. “It's a rollercoaster. Nobody's going to hand you anything in this game. Let's keep going and what will be will be. Let's keep going strong. ” See: Arsenal report First leg: April 28 - Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich April 29 - Atletico Madrid v Arsenal Second leg: May 5 - Arsenal v Atletico Madrid May 6 - Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain