A seismic evening in the tenure of Mikel Arteta? Perhaps not in terms of the significance of the occasion. But in terms of the quality of Arsenal’s showing, against one of the most in-form sides in Europe, this was without doubt a powerful and much-needed statement victory.
Unquestionably, this trip to Lisbon brought about the finest European away performance under Arteta’s management. Against a Sporting team that has destroyed almost every opponent they have faced this season, Arsenal cruised around the pitch with such swagger and class that it might have been an early-round tie in the League Cup.
Five goals, scored by five different players, and a complete shutdown of Viktor Gyokeres, the monstrous Sporting forward who had struck 32 goals in his previous 23 matches for club and country. Arteta could hardly have asked for more, and there is now a strong sense that his team — with Martin Odegaard back in the side — are building momentum again.
“For sure,” said Arteta when asked if this was his best European away win. “Especially against the opponent that we played, in their home. I don’t think they have lost here in 18 months. They have been in top form, they have been better than everyone they have played here. To play to that level, with the fluidity that we have done, I am very pleased.”
For all their progress in domestic football under Arteta’s management, there have not been many memorable European trips for Arsenal in recent years. They had won only one of their previous seven away matches since returning to the Champions League last season, and had failed to score in each of their past four away matches in Europe.
Sporting, then, proved to be the punchbag upon which Arsenal could vent these frustrations. The Portuguese league leaders were deconstructed by the imagination of Odegaard, the power of Gabriel Magalhaes and the sheer relentlessness of Bukayo Saka.
Gabriel and Saka were among the scorers for Arsenal, who also found the net through Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard.
It was also a triumphant night for William Saliba, making his 100th Arsenal appearance, as he and Gabriel took delight in stifling Gyokeres. Gabriel (who later limped off holding his leg) even imitated the Sporting striker’s celebration, after scoring with a trademark header.
Only a few weeks have passed since Manchester City were ripped apart by Sporting at this venue, with Gyokeres scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory. Arsenal had evidently studied that night closely, for they came into this meeting with a game-plan that ensured total dominance.
In fairness, it was not exactly the same Sporting that City faced. Ruben Amorim, now of Manchester United, was still the coach in these parts when Pep Guardiola’s players were battered here. But Sporting’s formation and principles remain the same in these early post-Amorim weeks, and Arsenal knew precisely where to probe and prod.
At the heart of it all, once again, was the outstanding Odegaard. As it was against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, everything flowed through him. In the first half, a remarkable 65 per cent of Arsenal’s attacks came down the right, where Odegaard and Saka inflicted a particularly cruel form of footballing torture upon the Sporting defence.
With Odegaard alongside him, Saka was devastating. The England winger scored one and assisted another, for Havertz, and he was ably supported by Jurrien Timber at right back.
Indeed it was Timber’s cross, for Martinelli, that allowed Arsenal to open the scoring from close range after just seven minutes. Martinelli should really score such goals more often, given the quality of his team-mates on the right flank.
So dizzied by the whirring Odegaard, Sporting could hardly escape their own half. Long balls to Gyokeres were gobbled up by Saliba and Gabriel, while Declan Rice and Thomas Partey were in control of the central areas. Partey was excellent, especially when playing the pass that allowed Saka to find Havertz for a simple finish that doubled Arsenal’s lead.
The Sporting supporters are not accustomed to this sort of thing. They have won 11 of 11 games in their domestic league this season and are used to controlling their opponents, rather than being controlled so comprehensively. You could feel the agitation in the stands. Many fans were whistling after half an hour.
There was even a brief fireworks show above the head of Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, which could either be interpreted as a form of protest or an attempt at encouragement. It made little difference to proceedings, apart from goading the travelling away fans. “We want more fireworks,” the Arsenal supporters sang.
They soon got them, in a footballing sense, as Gabriel headed home Rice’s corner with the final action of the first half.
The game briefly came alive again after the break, when Goncalo Inacio converted for Sporting from a corner, but Arsenal simply tightened their grip and crushed Sporting’s resolve all over again.
The tireless Odegaard strode beyond two defenders and into the box, where he was brought down by Ousmane Diomande. Saka converted the penalty with typical assurance.
The fifth came as the evening fizzled out, with Trossard in the right position to score after Mikel Merino’s shot had been spilled. It was a reflection of the control that Arsenal had exerted over the occasion, strangling Sporting’s forwards and then unravelling their defence. A total performance.
10:24 PM GMT
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports
Very happy obviously. A big result against a big opponent. They haven’t lost here in 18 months and we wanted to make that statement. We felt really good energy before the match but you have to put it into practice. The first half was exceptional and it was a really positive and important win for us.
You have to create the space [we enjoyed]. You have to earn it. We were efficient in the way we attacked them.
You could sense the atmosphere was changing [because] the last thing you want to do is concede in the first minute. We didn’t manage to do that. But we showed a lot of personality to defend deeper and then score the fourth goal, that’s when the game changed again.
I love the way the team flowed, played with purpose. Really pleased.
You need the consistency. To challenge for big things you have to win and win again. That’s important. We adapted really well and let’s move on now.
10:15 PM GMT
Table at the end of Tuesday’s nine matches
10:04 PM GMT
A brief word from Uefa’s man of the match, Bukayo Saka
They [Sporting] haven’t lost here all season but we believe in ourselves. We just have to be us and go with confidence. Everyone was top. I’m really proud of the boys today. Martin [Odegaard] is an unbelievable player. The day he returned I had a big smile on my face. I have great chemistry with him. You can see how much I enjoy playing with him. I’m happy he’s back and hope he stays fit for rest of the season. This is where we belong. We’ve showed the level we can play at. We need to continue it.
09:54 PM GMT
The table
Feyenoord’s late equaliser at Man City, who were 3-0 up, puts Arsenal up to seventh on the ‘as it stands table’ and Sporting to eighth. It will stay that way if there are no further goals.
09:52 PM GMT
Full time: Sporting 1 Arsenal 5
A terrific performance from Arsenal, professional, mature, composed and clinical. They took Europe’s most dashing side apart and exposed the flaws in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 with their elite pressing, passing and finishing.
09:50 PM GMT
90+1 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 5
Gyokeres has another pot-shot, thinking the clock was running down and he might as well but it goes over. Then Simoes is fouled and Hjulmand takes the free-kick that arrows towards goal before Raya slaps it over.
09:48 PM GMT
89 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 5
Nwaneri, Saka and Timber combine with the slickest move to tear another hole down the Sporting left but this time Israel has support whe he saves and they hammer the rebound clear.
09:45 PM GMT
87 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 5
Gyokeres shows why he is so coveted with a powerful run down the inside left before unleashing a scud of a left-foot shot from a tight angle that Raya saves at the near post, not that the officials saw Raya’s touch on to the post.
Simoes ⇢ Inacio
Reis ⇢ Trincao.
09:43 PM GMT
85 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 5
Poor old Raheem Sterling, who was stripped and ready to come on is called back to the bench and told to put his tracksuit back on.
Kiwior ⇢ Gabriel.
09:39 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 1 Arsenal 5 (Trossard) Sporting back off and back off, allowing Merino to keep coming and belt a left-foot shot from 22 yards that Israel blocks but none of his defenders come to his aid and Trossard has the simplest headed finish from five yards. So he nods it in.
09:38 PM GMT
81 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
With tomorrow’s games to come, this victory will push Arsenal up to 8th from 12th and Sporting down to 9th from 2nd.
09:37 PM GMT
80 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Decent run from Nwaneri down the right of the box, snaking between defenders before crossing… too close to Israel.
09:35 PM GMT
78 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Another carousel of subs:
Zinchenko ⇢ Calafiori
Nwaneri ⇢ Odegaard.
Harder ⇢ Morita.
09:34 PM GMT
77 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Hjulmand gets over-excited when Merino mis-hits a pass and sets up an opportunity to thread Gyokeres through but the Sporting captain snatches at it and gives it back to Arsenal.
09:33 PM GMT
75 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Sporting stick it in the mixer up the inside left and he lays it off to Trincao. The No 10 strides diagonally across the D and lets fly. Gabriel crouches to block and the ball loops off his knee and threatens to dip under the crossbar but doesn’t. Corner, which Arsenal see off.
09:31 PM GMT
73 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Good one-handed save from Raya at full stretch, low to his left as Hjulmand tried to catch him when Partey was blocking his view. He goes for a side-foot shot with his right, trying to place it in the corner but Raya read it and got down low quickly. Catamo blazes over from the corner
09:28 PM GMT
71 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
A raft of substitutions while a VAR check on Diomande for barging Martinelli over at a corner. No. Martinelli ran into him and he just leant in to him.
Catamo ⇢ Edwards
Braganca ⇢ Araujo
Trossard ⇢ Martinelli
Merino ⇢ Rice
09:26 PM GMT
68 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
Gyokeres at last is given a ball to feet in the box and he turns to fire a left-foot shot which loops up off Saliba’s block and Raya catches it backpedalling on to his goal-line, holding the ball in front of his chest to make sure it stays the right side of the line.
09:24 PM GMT
66 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 4
The penalty came from Sporting being hounded into a mistake while trying to play it out from the back. Diomande’s wild swipe probably deserved a second yellow card but the referee deemed the penalty sufficient.
09:21 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 1 Arsenal 4 (Saka, pen) Bottom right. Billows the side-netting. Could not have made it harder to save.
09:20 PM GMT
Arsenal penalty
Diomande takes out Odegaard from behind after the Arsenal captain almost Ricky Villa’d himself into a special slalom goal. Just booted him across the achilles.
09:19 PM GMT
62 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Now Timber is penalised for timewasting, 30 minutes out from full-time. St Juste shifts the throw-in infield to Morita who picks out Gyokeres’ run down the inside right and he rifles a rising shot over the bar from 20 yards. There’s no subtlety so far. He’s the Cannonball Kid.
09:17 PM GMT
60 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Some sloppiness has crept into Arsenal’s midfield play and both Gabriel and Arteta are urging them to move further forward.
09:15 PM GMT
58 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Great little quadrilateral move. Trincao, Morita and Gyokeres zip passes around until the Sweden striker, with his back to goal, lays it back to Edwards who hammers a 22 yard shot over the bar.
09:14 PM GMT
56 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Araujo links up with Edwards and the Enfield-born forward is sent down the line to cross, the ball hitting Partey which sends it too close to the near post so Raya bats it behind. Arsenal defend the corner stoutly.
09:12 PM GMT
54 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Arsenal continue to try to take the sting out of this by taking their time over throw-ins as the irate home fans whistle first Calafiori and then Timber on the opposite flank.
09:09 PM GMT
52 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Raya is booked for time-wasting before taking the goalkick.
We can only guess at Mikel Arteta’s half-time message to his players but I would be stunned if it wasn’t some variation of: keep things tight for the first few minutes after the break, and don’t let the crowd come back into this. Safe to say the players have failed in that regard.
09:09 PM GMT
51 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
Gyokeres almost hits the casing off the football as he aboslutely larrups the free-kick which keeps rising until it almost kisses the roof.
09:07 PM GMT
49 min: Sporting 1 Arsenal 3
And now Sporting have a free-kick in the D after Gabriel is penalised for holding Gyokeres’ shirt as the striker tried to roll him.
09:04 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 1 Arsenal 3 (Inacio) Flicked with his left foot at the near-post straight from the viciously swerving corner as Calafiori ended up on the floor trying to hook it away.
09:03 PM GMT
46 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 3
Morita, who had a very poor first half, has a shot on target, whipping it when found by Quenda from the right. Raya parries it around the post.
08:51 PM GMT
Half-time verdict
This is one of the best halves of football Arsenal have produced in Europe for a long, long time. They have been completely dominant against a Sporting team that has not lost all season.
Off the top of my head, I would say this is Arsenal’s best European performance since they beat Valencia in the semi-final of the Europa League in 2019.
08:50 PM GMT
Half-time: Sporting 0 Arsenal 3
And that was the last touch of the half. Arsenal have marmalised a team that has drawn one and won 14 of their 15 league and European matches hitherto this season. It’s been a rout this half. They can’t read the runs of Saka and Havertz and can’t stop Odegaard passing. A tactical masterclass from Arteta not only to nullify Europe’s most potent team but,a s Darren Fletcher just said, ‘to wipe the floor with them’.
08:46 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 0 Arsenal 3 (Gabriel) Rice takes the corner, deep inswinger. Gabriel loses his marker, Morita, boards his invisible pogo stick and, at the apex of his leap, meets the ball to bury the header.
08:46 PM GMT
45 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Raya catches the corner and launches a counter. Saka twisting Araujo’s blood on the right and standing up a cross to the back post that Diomande hastily hacks behind.
08:45 PM GMT
43 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
That’s better for the home supporters – Quenda latches on to a horizontal pass, exploits Rice’s hesitation and flays a rising shot that Raya tips over, trying to minimise the risk of late dip as I think it was creeping over. Corner.
08:43 PM GMT
41 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Rare run for Araujo, sent down the whitewash and he bends a cross on the run too deep and Calafiori heads it away. But Trincao wins the second ball to huge cheers which quickly die as Arsenal intercept.
08:41 PM GMT
39 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Edwards is jeered after a promising move from Sporting breaks down as he took the ball from Gyokeres on the left of centre 25 yards out. Saka got back to spoil.
08:40 PM GMT
37 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Clever reverse pass from Odegaard sends Saka in again, tacking in from the right at pace. The winger hammers a left-foot daisycutter that rears up and all but poleaxes Havertz by hitting him flush in the goolies. The ball, ahem, rebounds to Rice who thumps a rising shot miles over from eight yards and an acute angle by the right post.
08:38 PM GMT
35 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Now Saka gets down the right of the box again after a lovely Odegaard pass and Rice is wide open to the left of the penalty spot but Saka scuffs the pass. Sporting fans are going spare because their team keeps giving Arsenal the ball. Arteta has done a number on them, terrorising them with a high press which has sapped their confidence. And, of course, it’s a long time since they were under the cosh.
08:34 PM GMT
32 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Arsenal are cutting through Sporting at will and Odegaard almost unlocks the defence again with a scooped pass over Diomande for Havertz. But this time the shonky offside trap got it right. And Israel, in any case, slapped away Havertz’s lob from 10 yards.
08:32 PM GMT
30 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Trincao floats the free-kick too close to Raya who bowls the ball out and Arsenal hare forward, making rapid ground until Saka gets his shot all wrong and whacks it behind.
08:30 PM GMT
28 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Arsenal fans sing ‘We want more fireworks’ as smoke envelops the far side of the pitch. Trincao manages to poke a pass down the right for Gyokeres who bounds down the right but his pass infield is weak and Arsenal clear only for Calafiori to foul Trincao and concede a free-kick against his protests.
Not sure I’ve seen that before. Fireworks have been fired from the stands and into the air above David Raya’s goal. The Arsenal goalkeeper didn’t seem too fussed but it was quite a shock.
08:26 PM GMT
25 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 2
Sporting fans let off some fireworks/smoke bombs behind the Arsenal goal. But that’s the only spark we’ve seen from Sporting so far. It’s all Arsenal.
It’s bordering on ridiculous how much Arsenal’s right-hand side has been transformed by Martin Odegaard’s return. It’s all going down that side tonight, including the build-up to both goals.
08:22 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 0 Arsenal 2 (Havertz) Partey scoops a wonderful pass over the top to Saka who was well onside down the right. He scoots inside, closes in on Israel and then pokes it through his legs for Havertz to tap in.
08:22 PM GMT
GOAL?!
VAR check but of it stands it’s Havertz who put it in.
08:21 PM GMT
20 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Partey side-foots a cushioned half volley from 22 yards straight down Israel’s throat after an Arsenal corner on the left won through rice and Martinelli.
08:20 PM GMT
18 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal defend the corner easily but then Quenda tackles Rice on the Arsenal left and tries to trigger a counter. Morita’s crossfield pass looking for Araujo is cut out by Timber.
08:17 PM GMT
16 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Quenda bends a left-foot pass from the right, swinging towards the back post where Edwards was hoping to win it but Timber (!), who looks very good on the right, backpedals calmly and backheads it out for a corner.
08:16 PM GMT
14 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Bright idea from Odegaard who spins a left-foot pass from the right over the centre-backs and seeking Martinelli’s run down the left but he whipped it too hard and it skips away from his team-mate and skips out for a goalkick.
08:14 PM GMT
12 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Saka is rather harshly penalised for a foul on Edwards when he won the ball. The free-kick is 40 yards out., left of centre and Saliba is first to it, booming a header away.
08:12 PM GMT
10 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
The goal seems to have shocked Sporting into life and they ping a few passes together down the left and free Araujo who ships in a devilishly dangerous cross that Gabriel scrambles away before Gyokeres or Trincao could pounce.
Arsenal have been dominant from the first minute, with the ball hardly leaving Sporting’s half. Arteta has been aggressively applauding their pressing from his position on the sidelines. They fully deserve their lead, with Martinelli converting Timber’s cross. It’s Arsenal’s first away goal in the Champions League since they played PSV in December last year.
08:07 PM GMT
GOAL!
Sporting 0 Arsenal 1 (Martinelli) From the throw Odegaard played it infield across the 18-yard line to Rice who laced a pass down the right of the box for Timber who managed to stay onside by a toenail. He fed a low cross through the six-yard box that Havertz would have tapped in had he not been held but Martinelli saved him having to lobby for a penalty by tapping it in at the back post instead.
08:07 PM GMT
6 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Saka is on the deck but Arsenal refuse to kick the ball out and Saka gets back up. He is whistled when the ball is played out to the right and he darts into the box. But he runs into Inacio and Sporting clear the ball for another Arsenal throw on the right.
This is my fourth trip to this stadium and I wouldn’t describe it as being among the most intimidating venues in Europe, but it can be a bit spicy and they’re definitely giving it a good go tonight. The home supporters have green lights shining from their phones and the DJ is playing all the classics. I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal keep things calm for the first 20 minutes.
08:05 PM GMT
4 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Havertz and Diomande have a shoving match as they wait for an Arsenal throw on the right and, once the ref breaks it up he books the Porto centre-half. Diomande is livid and goes to remonstrate with the lino for grassing him up but he’s manhandled away by Hjulmand in fear of doubling the punishment.
08:03 PM GMT
2 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Slick footwork from Martinelli to dribble down the inside left, drop his shoulder to get past St Juste and square it. Diomande wellies it out but only to 25 yards and Calafiori connects with a volley, sadly with his right foot, and balloons it high into the stands.
08:01 PM GMT
1 min: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Havertz kicks off and rolls it back to Raya standing five yards out of his area and he chips it long up the right and Odegaard crosses. Israel deals with it as the club song resounds around the stadium.
08:00 PM GMT
A Scandi affair at the coin toss
Norway’s Odegaard and Denmark’s Hjulmand exchange pre-huddle pennants and decided ends. They’ll stay as they are and Arsenal will kick off.
07:57 PM GMT
The main event…
Out come the teams: Sporting in green, black and white hoops, Arsenal in red and white, like a cardinal:
Die Meister
Die Besten
Les grandes équipes
The champions
07:45 PM GMT
A brief word with Mikel Arteta
The challenge as always is to have our best version, to play with our spirit. My message? Be ourselves and go for it.
07:32 PM GMT
David Raya speaks to TNT Sports
We expect to win every single game so it’s important to get three points. It’s our standards and our expectations that we have to win.
Martin [Odegaard] is great. How important he is for us on and off the pitch. We miss him because he’s the captain. On the pitch he’s a genius.
I have to try to keep a clean sheet because it gives you the opportunity to win the game. They are [in great form] but we want to win and we expect to win.
07:15 PM GMT
Testing times
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are regarded by many as the dominant defensive pairing in the Premier League. Tonight they face one of the greatest tests in European football: the mighty Viktor Gyokeres.
The Sweden striker has scored 32 goals in 23 matches for club and country this season, after a similarly prolific campaign last year. He is a monster, as he demonstrated with his hat-trick against Manchester City, and it will be fascinating to see the physical battle between him and the Arsenal centre-backs.
Will Arsenal risk playing their usual high defensive line against a player who is so adept at running in behind? It will require courage and bravery, and it will probably also require perfection in positioning for Saliba (making his 100th appearance for Arsenal) and Gabriel.
07:14 PM GMT
Arsenal’s best midfield blend
Apart from the injured Ben White, this is probably Mikel Arteta’s best team. A midfield three of Odegaard, Partey and Rice should have the ideal balance of technical skill and physical power.
Whether that will be enough against this in-form Sporting team, however, is far from certain. Arsenal will be regarded as favourites but Sporting, even without the departed Ruben Amorim, come into this still riding the high of their recent thrashing of Manchester City.
The Portuguese side have won 11 out of 11 matches so far in their league and it should be a feisty atmosphere tonight. It’s a lovely, mild evening for it.
07:13 PM GMT
Marcus Edwards starts for Sporting
The 25-year-old former Tottenham trainee was highly praised by Mauricio Pochettino eight years ago:
His qualities? It’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays, remind a little bit from the beginning of Messi. He’s small, he’s left-footed. [Also] remember a little bit [Erik] Lamela when he was at River Plate. When he was 14, 15 years old, there are a lot of videos on YouTube that you can see, that he took the ball, didn’t give a pass and shot straight away.
He [Edwards] is a very good prospect and, potentially, he can be a top player but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player but now it’s how he builds his future, that’s very important. And it’s our responsibility to tell him.
Sadly it wasn’t to be but he has flourished in Portugal since Spurs sold him to Vitoria de Guimaraes.
07:00 PM GMT
And now for those watching in black and white
Sporting Israel; St Juste, Diomande, Inacio; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Edwards; Gyokeres.
Substitutes Kovacevic, Callai, Matheus Reis, Harder, Catamo, Fresneda, Braganca, Ricardo Esgaio, Couto, Alves, Simoes, Brito.
Arsenal Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Substitutes Neto, Setford, Tierney, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri.
Referee Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
06:48 PM GMT
Arsenal make changes: Havertz, Rice and Partey return
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
⚓️ Rice returns
⚡️ Martinelli down the wing
🎩 Havertz leads the lineBlank out the noise – COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2024
06:00 PM GMT
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05:55 PM GMT
Preview: Titanic battle out wide
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal’s visit to Estadio Jose Alvalade to play Sporting CP, the champions of Portugal who are currently second in the 36-team league after starting their campaign under Ruben Amorim with three wins and a draw. The last of those three victories, 21 days ago, was the 4-1 thumping of Manchester City and Amorim wrapped up his 4½-year stint as head coach before skedaddling to Old Trafford with a 4-2 away win at Braga, leaving the Leoes with 11 Primeira Liga victories from 11 games.
Sporting were quick to promote the 40-cap former Portugal right-back, Joao Pereira, from the reserve team job to be Amorim’s long-term successor. It may be his maiden first-team head coaching appointment but he did enjoy three playing spells with the club, took charge of the U23s for two years before stepping up to ‘the stiffs’ and started with a 6-0 victory in the Portuguese Cup at the weekend over fourth-tier Amarante. Amorim set the 3-4-2-1 tactical template for the club and Pereira, at least for now, will stick with what works, using wingers as full-backs, two No 10s and the predatory Viktor Gyokeres to harass defenders with his seemingly insatiable vigour.
Arsenal come in to the game in 12th place, comfortable enough among the contenders for a play-off spot but, if they are to mount a convincing comeback in the title race, they could do without an extra two knockout matches to add to the extra two league-stage ones. Having beaten Nottingham Forest on Saturday to end the dip that included the 1-0 defeat by Inter last time out in this competition, they come into tonight at full strength bar a gaping hole at right-back after Ben White joined Takehiro Tomiyasu on the long-term injury list. Martin Odegaard’s return, however, makes them stronger despite those two absences.
Kai Havertz ought to return to lead the line tonight and Jurrien Timber should continue at right-back. Arsenal have one victory and one draw from their only two previous visits in 2018-19 and 2022-23 but this is a far more daunting prospect than back then. Having said that, Gabriel and William Saliba should give Gyokeres the toughest examination of his world-class credentials to date and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli should have a titanic battle with Geovany Quenda and Maximiliano Araujo.
It’s about as mouthwatering a prospect that European football can currently offer.
