Arsenal Vs Sporting CP: Europa League Round Of 16 Second Leg
A Key Match for Arsenal’s European Push
Arsenal take a step away from their fierce Premier League title chase to contest a key Europa League home match against Portuguese side Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta’s Squad Rotation Dilemma
Mikel Arteta rotated the squad heavily for the first leg in Lisbon last week, and it showed, as the Gunners flopped their way to a 2-2 draw. With the matchup now still very much in the balance, Arteta has a big decision on his hands.
A European Push for Arsenal
Arsenal sit five points up in the Premier League table and have a lot of work left to do to secure this year’s title, but a European push will be almost as enticing, and with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line today, the momentum provided by advancing past a strong Portuguese club would be palpable.
A Healthy Arsenal Squad with Plenty of Options
The Gunners are almost completely healthy now as well, meaning there is a bevy of options for Arteta to turn to depending on how he views this Round of 16 second leg.
Sporting News Live Coverage
The Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as they happen.
Starting Lineups: Arsenal vs Sporting CP
Arsenal (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Ramsdale (GK) — 18. Tomiyasu, 12. Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Zinchenko — 24. Nelson, 20. Jorginho, 34. Xhaka, 21. Vieira — 9. Jesus, 11. Martinelli.
Sporting (3-4-3, right to left): 1. Adan (GK) — 3. St. Juste, 25. Inacio, 26. Diomande — 47. Esgaio, 15. Ugarte, 28. Goncalves, 2. Matheus — 10. Edwards, 20. Paulinho, 17. Trincao.
Selection Notes
45 mins to kick: One rough selection note for American fans is Matt Turner dropping to the bench. The U.S. starting goalkeeper had been the Cup starter for Arsenal when healthy, but struggled in the first leg in Portugal. While Mikel Arteta rotates the rest of the squad, Aaron Ramsdale is risked in goal, which is a bad sign for the American, who loses his place.
60 mins to kick: Mikel Arteta has decided to once again rotate the squad, proving what winning the Premier League title would mean to this club. Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Ben White are all rested, with a host of players coming into the side as they did in Portugal.
90 mins to kick: It’s likely to be a first start for Gabriel Jesus since returning from his serious knee injury, and Mikel Arteta is excited to have him back.
120 mins to kick: The debate about tonight’s team selection by Mikel Arteta is a fascinating one. Some folks act like playing a first-choice lineup is somehow a knife to the throat of their Premier League title, which just isn’t accurate, but there’s certainly risk involved. Resting players in the first leg clearly had its disadvantages, so it tracks that Arteta will see this fixture as important. Still, there could be some rotation if the Premier League is prioritised.
Injury Update and Suspensions
Aside from a knock to Eddie Nketiah and the long-term absence of Mohamed Elneny, there are no injury concerns for Arsenal heading into this match. Gabriel Jesus returned to action over the weekend, and while it’s unclear whether he’ll be fit to start, he will at least be available off the bench. Leandro Trossard made his return to the starting lineup over the weekend as well, as Mikel Arteta’s attacking options are once again at nearly full strength. Arsenal players who will be suspended with their next yellow card include Gabriel Martinelli and Kieran Tierney.
Confirmed Starting Lineup for Arsenal
Arsenal confirmed starting lineup (4-4-2): Ramsdale (GK) — Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Vieira, Jorginho, Xhaka, Nelson — Jesus, Martinelli.
Arsenal subs (12): Turner, Holding, Tierney, Hillson, Kiwior, White, Partey, Odegaard, Trossard, Smith Rowe, Saka.
Sporting’s Lineup and Absences
One of the major narratives of this match is the absence of key Sporting midfielders Sebastian Coates and Hidemasa Morita, who both triggered yellow card suspensions with bookings in the first leg. Sporting will, however, get Manuel Ugarte back from his first-leg suspension. Former Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin will not feature against his previous club after picking up a knee injury.
Sporting confirmed starting lineup (3-4-3): Adan (GK) — St. Juste, Inacio, Diomande — Esgaio, Ugarte, Goncalves, Matheus — Edwards, Paulinho, Trincao.
Sporting subs (13): Israel (GK), Neto (GK), Alexandropoulos, Nuno, Mateus, Tanlongo, Essugo, Issahaku, Chermiti, Rochinha, Cabral, Arthur.
Odds and Expectations
The Gunners are level with Sporting on the aggregate score (2-2), but the Premier League club sees itself as heavy favourites both in the 90 minutes and to advance. They are hovering around 1/3 to win the match in most places, while Sporting sit as huge 7/1 underdogs. While that might be selling the Portuguese side a bit short, it’s clear that Arsenal are deserving of their pedestal, as even their second-choice lineup was good enough for a draw in the first leg. There’s some confusion over the flow of this game, as the betting market thinks it will be difficult for Sporting to find the back of the net, but the total goals over is still juiced up to around 2/3.
