After turning over Leicester City earlier this week and having made it ten wins on the spin, the Gunners return to Europa League action tomorrow night against Sporting CP in Lisbon. As the so called second team in Arsenal's group, Sporting are stronger than both Vorskla and Qarabag on paper and will prove a tough test, especially away from home.
However, anything you feel you know about Sporting of recent years, is now probably wrong. A mass exodus last summer led to household names (and academy graduates) William Carvalho and Gelson Martins, as well as Portuguese international stopper Rui Patricio (and others) leaving the club due to what was cited as 'breach of contract' - with medias reporting player safety as this breach after fans attacked players and staff at the club's training ground. However, these issues aside, Sporting did manage to keep hold of some big players including Bas Dost and Nani, and have brought in Champions League winner Jeremy Mathieu from Barcelona, signed Juve's Stefano Stuaro on loan and are backed by one-time Arsenal 'keeper Emiliano Viviano. These names have ensured Sporting earned six points from six in the Europa League so far, the same record as Arsenal, and currently sit second in Group E with an inferior goal difference. Make no mistake, this game will not be a walk in the park by any means. In Sporting's back yard, the pressure will be on Arsenal throughout the game's entirety.
Arsenal will be looking to make it an eleventh win in a row in Portugal to continue the club's great momentum. It is likely that Unai Emery will rotate some players out to allow first team fringe players some minutes. Players like Danny Welbeck, Sead Kolasinac (if fit) and Mohamed Elneny are a few names that need pitch time but do bring an experience and level of quality that can support players like Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock, should they be called upon.
In defence, depending on the fitness of Petr Cech, Unai Emery may either be forced to continue with now first choice keeper Bernd Leno or swap in normal third choice Emi Martinez. Away at Lisbon, where a win would strengthen our top position and distance our rivals in the group, I don't foresee Martinez coming in unless there's no other option. It is still a big game and a big occasion, regardless of the 'easy' Thursday night football vibe that the Europa League gets given. Ahead, Lichtsteiner is likely to replace Bellerin as the right back unless no senior left back is fit. We saw Bellerin right and Lichtsteiner left start against Leicester, and this could happen again should Monreal nor Kolasinac shake off their injuries. Both have returned to training and are being assessed ahead of the game. We've seen so far that Emery has not tested any of the club's young left backs in the Europe League, and in the biggest game of our group, I don't think he'll change this now. Other options include Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left back but he's only recently upped to full training so it could end up being too soon for him, and Carl Jenkinson on the right with Lichtsteiner back on the left. Sokratis could come back in for some minutes should he be fit enough to start, as he has also returned to full training. Club captain Laurent Koscielny has returned to full training as well, vitally ahead of schedule but this still comes too early for the Frenchman who's been listed as a November return.
The central midfield for this season's Europa League has pretty much picked itself since the names are obvious to most. The deeper two positions in a 4-2-3-1 should be filled by Matteo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny who both provide consistent seven out of ten performances. Both rarely disappoint but equally neither take risks in order to be stand out contenders - but actually its a solid partnership and with the right creativity in front, should win Arsenal this game. Having looked at the last few league games, I anticipate Aaron Ramsey to be the midfield playmaker for this one. He'll dictate from an attacking number eight spot with more direct wide men in Danny Welbeck from the left and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from the right. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will centre the two former Man United men and will provide electric pace for an hour or so before he's withdrawn ahead of the Sunday's trip to Selhurst Park. Iwobi is also an option to start but after recent performances, is pushing for a starting spot again in the league, rather than the cup. I expect to see Ozil, Xhaka and Torreira miss out on the starting XI as the trio have seemingly nailed down starting spots in Emery's first team midfield.
Emery could throw a spanner in the works again and test out a back three which would see all sorts of changes to the above. He's not adverse to something like this but after the back three debacle last time where the three units (defence-midfield-forwards) could barely find a pass, I hope that these sorts of tests can be saved for easier looking games. Sporting are no mugs and have two Champions League winners, one of which also has a European Championship win, another who's won the Copa America, and a loanee who's won four straight Italian league titles. They have experience and guile in abundance so Emery's men should not take them lightly. After impressing at times in last season's Europa League, Sporting will be looking to go a step or two further this time around. A tough test is certainly on the cards.
Expected lineup:
GK: Bernd Leno
RB: Stephan Lichtsteiner
CB: Sokratis
CB: Rob Holding
LB: Sead Kolasinac
CM: Mohamed Elneny
CM: Matteo Guendouzi
RW: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
CAM: Aaron Ramsey
LW: Danny Welbeck
ST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Prediction: 2-0 to the Gunners with Danny Welbeck continuing his good cup form.
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