The coach summarises the defeat to Arsenal

After the defeat for Sporting Clube de Portugal against Arsenal, coach João Pereira spoke in a press conference about the contest.

"The first 20 minutes of the second half, until the penalty, were positive. There was a great reaction from the players after it was 0-3. We adjusted, at halftime, what we had to do in terms of pressure. We made it 1-3, and we could have made it 2-3, but when we conceded the fourth, everything became more difficult," he began by telling journalists at the Artur Agostinho Auditorium.

"The fans were fantastic. They were with the team from the first minute to the last and it's up to us to give them a response to compensate them for this result," he said.

The new incumbent in the dugout also guaranteed that the result "will not have an impact" on the team's work.

"These were three points dropped and it is a heavy defeat, even more so with it coming at home, but we have to react in Saturday's game against CD Santa Clara. It was a bad start to the game for us, heavily influenced by the goal that we conceded very early. I take responsibility for the defeat. I was the one who prepared the tactics and put the players on the pitch. The support from the stands was the most important thing, as they know the players are good and we feel they are with us," he added.

Finally, Pereira stated that "What I can promise is the maximum daily work to continue making Sporting CP a winning club."