Pedro Goncalves, a star for Sporting Lisbon, added salt to Arsenal’s wounds after he appeared to make fun of Granit Xhaka following the Gunners’ Europa League elimination.
Nuno Santos ended up scoring the game-winning goal for the Portuguese team at the Emirates Stadium, but Goncalves is the one who probably made his name famous.
After Xhaka gave Arsenal the lead, everything had been going so smoothly for them.
According to the Swiss man’s wife’s Instagram post, he dutifully celebrated by putting his palm up to his nose and waggling his fingers in what appeared to be a message to his daughter.
Then Goncalves, a former Wolves player, scored an incredible goal to tie the score. He received too much space in the middle of the field and lobbed Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from close to the halfway line.
The Portuguese player scored a beautiful goal, but he didn’t let himself get too carried away with his celebration until Sporting had defeated their opponents in penalties.
He approached the gathered opposition supporters in the corner and imitated Xhaka’s jubilation.
Pedro Goncalves
Pedro António Pereira Goncalves, also known as Pedro Goncalves or Pote, is a Portuguese professional football player who competes for Sporting CP of the Primeira Liga and the Portugal national team as a right winger or offensive midfielder. He was born on June 28, 1998.
Goncalves began his professional career at Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining the newly promoted Famalico in the 2019 season.
After a remarkable campaign in which he won the Best Young Player of the Year award for the Primeira Liga in 2020, Goncalves signed with Sporting CP, another team from the league.
Goncalves switched roles from central midfielder to attacking midfielder there, scoring 23 goals in 32 league games, winning the Bola de Prata, aiding Sporting in winning the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga double, and earning recognition as the league’s Team of the Year and Best Young Player of the Year for the second year running.
Former Portugal youth international Goncalves competed for his nation at the under-18, under-20, and under-21 levels.
After he was named for Portugal’s team for the UEFA Euro 2020, he made his senior international debut in 2021.
How Good Is Pedro Goncalves
Goncalves spent much of his time at Famalico as a center midfielder who occupied a deeper position.
In the 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 formations used by Sporting CP under manager Rben Amorim, Gonçalves was used as an attacking midfielder or a right winger.
In these positions, he is given the freedom to move with fluidity, coming infield to get close to the central striker or pulling off to the edge of the box.
Goncalves can move throughout the attacking areas of the field thanks to his superb ball handling and balance.
As a false nine, Goncalves helps his side gain possession by dropping deep to do so. When he receives the ball in one of these half-spaces, his spatial awareness enables him to reliably pass the ball to a dangerous part of the field.
Fans Thoughts About Goncalves
Social media was used by fans to discuss Goncalves’ goals and Arsenal’s exit from the Europa League.
Despite being on the verge of winning the English Premier League this season, Arsenal was unable to continue their success in Europe.
Following are some fan posts and their opinions:
Let us know what you think about Arsenal’s performance via the comment section below.
