Arsenal will be hoping to get closer to a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals when they face Sporting CP in Lisbon.
Sporting CP will have surely conceded the unprecedented dream of a domestic and European double. They remain in the fourth spot, 15 points behind leaders Benfica, despite three wins on the bounce. Sporting will now be fully committed to their European adventure but face Arsenal as a first big hurdle.
The hosts have the immediate experience of facing a north London side after mixed success against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League group stages. Despite their bright displays, the Portuguese giants failed to pip Spurs and Eintracht Frankfurt from their group.
After finishing third in that group, Sporting got drawn against Midtjylland in the Europa League knockout play-offs. The opposition held their ground with a 1-1 first-leg scoreline. Sporting needed a Sebastian Coates equaliser to keep the clash in their favour before turning up the heat in the second leg. The Portuguese giants breezed past the Danish club with a 4-0 scoreline to set up the clash with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta was a bit relieved after some late stumbles in the Europa League group stage. A loss to PSV Eindhoven did not hurt their chances of finishing atop the standings, with Arsenal ending the stages with 15 points out of a possible 18.
Pure goosebumps! 🤩
Gooners, sum up this moment with a GIF 💭 pic.twitter.com/H8EfxX6G36
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 5, 2023
Their status as group winners allowed the Gunners to bypass the play-offs as they patiently waited for a decent draw. Arteta will have to show the experience needed to switch the team’s focus away from a fantastic title challenge to European duties.
Arsenal will come into this game buzzing following their dramatic late win over Bournemouth. Reiss Nelson inked his name as a Gunners cult hero following the terrific late goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time at the Emirates. Arteta will surely hope they have the momentum to go far in their Europa League campaign and possibly win it.
Team News & Tactics
Sporting CP
Ruben Amorim will rue his luck with the Arsenal clash as key midfielder Manuel Ugarte remains suspended for this game. The 21-year-old has played 34 times this season and proved a crucial cog in the middle of the park.
🔜 @EuropaLeague ✨ #SportingCP pic.twitter.com/o94SrjJQnc
— Sporting CP English (@SportingCP_en) March 6, 2023
Daniel Braganca is also a miss as he recovers from a ruptured cruciate ligament. Amorim should place his trust in 19-year-old Argentine midfielder Mateo Tanlongo. The youngster will start alongside Hidemasa Morita in central midfield.
Amorim could make some defensive alterations by bringing Matheus Reis and Jeremiah St. Juste into his starting eleven. The latter should come in for Ousmane Diomande, while Reis should replace Nuno Santos as the left-wing back.
Marcus Edwards and Pote should play in the attacking third ahead of the midfielders. They will line up behind central striker Youssef Chermiti. Amorim should keep shape at the back with a back three of St. Juste, Sebastian Coates and Goncalo Inacio. Ricardo Esgaio completes the team from his right wing-back position.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Adan; St. Juste, Coates, Iancio; Esgaio, Tanlongo, Morita, Reis; Pote, Edwards; Chermiti
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will make late decisions for the Sporting CP clash on his starting team. There are a few injury concerns. But the main issue for the manager is to make the right selection which does not disrupt his Premier League plans.
Step by step 💪 pic.twitter.com/b3ipqjsPrc
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 8, 2023
Leandro Trossard limped off against Bournemouth at the weekend, while Eddie Nketiah is also ruled out with an ankle problem. However, Nelson has given Arteta a new option against Sporting, with the forward likely to start on the right side of the attack.
Arteta may use the game to play Gabriel Martinelli through the middle, with Emile Smith Rowe on the left. He could also experiment with Martin Odegaard’s position and use Fabio Vieira on the right side of the midfield. Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus is also back in full training as he was seen taking part today.
Arsenal could bring Jorginho in place of Thomas Partey at the base of midfield, but Granit Xhaka could start on the left. At the back, Jakub Kiwior could make his competitive debut for the Gunners and partner either Rob Holding or William Saliba.
Kieran Tierney is ill and will now travel with the squad, while Arteta may prefer to rest Oleksandr Zinchenko. The next best alternative would be to start Takehiro Tomiyasu in the left-back role and let Ben White remain on the right side. That way, the manager could rest many key stars, including the Ukrainian international, Partey, Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Turner; Ben White, Holding, Kiwior, Tomiyasu; Vieira, Jorginho, Xhaka; Nelson, Martinelli, Smith Rowe
Key Stats
- Sporting CP have won six of their last seven games in Liga Bwin.
- Sporting CP have only one victory in their four European games at home, with the solitary victory coming against Tottenham.
- Sporting CP are yet to win or score a goal against Arsenal in their four meetings before this.
- Arsenal are on a four-match winning run in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have not a game against Sporting CP in their last four encounters.
Player to Watch
Reiss Nelson
When called upon, Reiss Nelson has delivered 💥@Arsenal | @ReissNelson9 pic.twitter.com/OJF6r43Exq
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 7, 2023
A variety of factors points towards Nelson starting against Sporting. Mikel Arteta has sudden shortages with his forward options. The 23-year-old’s selection will come after his superb cameo that ended with the dramatic winner deep in injury time.
Nelson has three goals and two assists in a few substitute appearances. Despite his promising cameo at the weekend, the forward has much to prove to cement a place in this Arsenal side, albeit in the Europa League. Consistency is key for the 23-year-old, and a good performance against Sporting will help achieve that new contract at the Emirates.
Prediction
Sporting CP 1-2 Arsenal
The Gunners could use their momentum and confidence to push for a victory in Lisbon. Sporting are not a bad side by any means, but they are coming up against the Premier League leaders, desperate to keep their recent winning streak going.
Arsenal will focus their efforts on the Premier League, but Arteta will take the Europa League seriously. He will target a win, and looking at the overall quality of both sides, Arsenal are favourites to take a win back to the Emirates.
