Probable Lineups
4-5-1
4-2-3-1
Probable Lineups Statistical Comparison
Goals
Assists
(6.9)
6.9
Average Ratings
7
(7)
34.5
Average Age
31.6
181
Average Height (cm)
183.6
(1.1)
1.2
Shots pg
1.5
(1.3)
(54%)
52%
Aerial Duel Success
48%
(49%)
(0.7)
0.9
Dribbles pg
1.3
(0.6)
(1.6)
1.4
Tackles pg
1.2
(1)
* Values in brackets (x) are overall player statistics in Europa League Grp. E.
Missing Players
Sporting
Arsenal
| Player | Reason | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romain Salin | Doubtful | 6.48 | |
| Jérémy Mathieu | Doubtful | 6.82 | |
| Raphinha | Doubtful | 7.97 | |
| Stefano Sturaro | Doubtful | N/A | |
| Bas Dost | Doubtful | 7.04 | |
| Rodrigo Battaglia | Doubtful | 6.9 | |
| Bruno César | Doubtful | N/A |
| Player | Reason | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurent Koscielny | Out | 6.85 | |
| Carl Jenkinson | Out | 7 | |
| Ainsley Maitland-Niles | Out | 6.98 | |
| Sokratis Papastathopoulos | Doubtful | 7.3 | |
| Sead Kolasinac | Doubtful | 7.02 | |
| Petr Cech | Doubtful | 6.82 | |
| Nacho Monreal | Doubtful | 6.8 |
Team News
Sporting
Arsenal
- Sporting have injury concerns involving a number of key players ahead of Thursday's tough Europa League contest with Arsenal.
- Jeremy Mathieu has missed Sporting's last five matches but reported for first-team training at the start of the week, suggesting he will be ready for Thursday.
- However, key forwards Bas Dost and Raphinha were both absent from training and face a huge race against time to prove their fitness for the reception of Arsenal.
- Romain Salin was an unused substitute in their cup triumph at the weekend, which is a boost for the home side.
- Bruno Cesar hasn't featured at all this season but was also on the bench against Loures on Saturday.
- Unai Emery will make changes from the side that beat Leicester 3-1 on Monday night but has a number of injury concerns heading into Thursday's match with Sporting.
- Sokratis is close to returning to first-team football and could be involved on Thursday.
- Petr Cech is available again after injury but hasn't made the trip, suggesting he will start in goal at the weekend.
- Aaron Ramsey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Matteo Guendouzi all came off the bench against Leicester and should get game time from the off here.
- Emile Smith-Rowe will hope to start in Lisbon after scoring last time out in the Europa League.
Another slow start to the game. Had Sporting an ounce of quality up front, they would have scored. Like many other games this season, we heavily dominated the 2nd half and did enough to win. Also like many other games where Torreira has come off the bench, the 'before' and 'after' performances are separable by eye alone. He gives us balance, purpose and a level of orchestration in midfield which we do not get with any other DCM/CM. Xhaka is the key man when we dominate but in order for us to dominate, we first need Torreira to stamp his authority on the game. With the exception of him and Welbeck, I don't think anybody from Arsenal played particularly well. Granit did ok given the unfamiliarity of the role. Acuna played well for Sporting but he was about the only outfield player who did. This has almost cemented top place for Arsenal. Sporting are at home represented the only difficult fixture and it will now take a Wenger-era-level bottle-job to fail to win the group from here.
Sokratis should have been red carded in the first half. It's a fair result. Sporting didn't do much in the second half, they seemed tired or disappointed with that referee mistake so Arsenal just created chance after chance and eventually scored.
@iykwim not red,yellow and sporting player do not run for ball.
@Whou just watched the replay. Montero runs to the ball, gets pulled. It's a red, mate.
@iykwim- Just being fouled by the last man isn't enough for a red card nowadays. Sokratis would had to have denied a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity. He didn't foul Messi. It was a yellow.
@SteveHyland Since when? Today that it helped Arsenal? I'm not taking anything away from Arsenal's game. They did very well in the second half and were effective enough to score. Now "being fouled by the last man isn't enough for a red card"? How much biased did that sound? It's one of the few times a red card is shown. It's in the books, for the love of god. Another funny thing is that apparently had it been Messi it was a red, but any other players it's just part of the game. Had it been Aubameyang it would have been tragic...
Having seen the lineups, expect Arsenal to romp this one. With Sokratis back in defense and a good holding player like guendozi in the side, I cant see arsenal leaking many goals, especially given the possession they are likely to have. Ive got arsenal by 2 or more goals. Combo for the day: lazio to win +210, ac milan/bets over 2.5, arsenal/sporting over 2.5, leipzig/celtic over 2.5 altogether gives you a +25.00. Good luck!
@OhItsABelter I'll be shocked if this isn't a 2-2 draw.
@SeuneMilmas how many times have you been shocked already
@SeuneMilmas That's one horrible prediction
arsenal win
2-4
Both teams to score is gonna happen and goals will be in this game...over 2.5 is likely too....arsenal might draw because they are away from home with the best team at home ground but someone is gonna score twice here and one scores once or twice....both teams to score a way to go
@Michaelbrown I like your self confidence :)
@Cannavaro69 too bad it wasn't backed up by an actual result :)
Unai, Europa League veteran daddy kickstarted Arsenal this season. Spirits are probably high and players are looking for any chance to make team. 1-3
btts and arsenal win
Portuguese teams are very weak this season, specially Sporting who lost/sold almost every good player and also has a lot of other players injuried and is struggling even in internal competitions. Their main objective this season is to try to avoid the 5th place and try not to fall in a big crisis...I don't know how Arsenal have been this season, but it's hard to imagine Sporting winning this one.
@hellreaper Portuguese teams? Porto is doing pretty well on UCL. Even Benfica didn't deserve to loose against Ajax. Sporting is weak, not Benfica and FC Porto. You meant that SPORTING is weak. Every other Portuguese team except Braga were already too weak to compete on UEFA LOL
@JotaPeli By that logic, Braga is too weak too to compete on UEFA. They failed to beat Zorya (?) and aren't in Europa League either.
@iykwim And I am a FC PORTO fan, but I love too see football. So don't come and say to me Braga is weak because it is not.
@iykwim For example, tomorrow I will at the stadium of Vitoria SC to see Vitoria-Braga. A derbi and really hot game, the fans hate each other. And you probably never watched a Braga game LOL
@iykwim that was one game, and did you even watch the game? You know nothing about Portuguese teams but I am Portuguese and Know much more than you, trust me. This year Braga has the best team they have ever had, they can win the championship. That one game at home was a mistake, Zorya was lucky just like Lyon against City. Porto won have already played three matches, 2w 1d. And Benfica did deserved much more than a defeat against Ajax. They will win at home for instance.
@JotaPeli Jovem, o Braga é a mesma merda todos os anos: ganha ao Sporting, dificulta contra o Porto e dá o cu ao Benfica. Quando o Braga for campeão um dia (não esta temporada), eu vou festejar e rir-me às gargalhadas porque vai haver merda entre o Benfica e o Braga. Estão bem agora mas no fim de comerem relva para ganharem ao Sporting, empatam em casa com o Rio Ave. Não me interessa de clube é que és, o Braga não é mais forte que o Sporting. É um bom clube e espero que ganhem algo um dia quando deixarem de serem escravos da Luz. Para terminar, Vitória x Braga é um excelente derby, faz bom proveito. O Porto jogou bem, o Benfica foi equilibrado mas quando o melhor jogador em campo é o guarda-redes não se pode dizer "não merecia a derrota". Ah e olha, quem diria, eu sou de facto português :D
@iykwim Não é mais forte? Está com alguns pontinhos de avanço ao Sporting Clube Comédia de Portugal. Não me venhas com tangas rapaz. Ganhares um joguinho em casa contra eles nao faz de voces melhores. Estas a falar do Sporting como se fosse uma grande força do futebol português, já reparaste que não incomodam ninguém? Ganharam 1 campeonato nos ultimos 20 anos. Até o Boavista ganhou pá. Levas 4 do Benfas em casa e podiam ter sido 6. Ganhas ao Braga porque o Abel abre as pernas aos de Lisboa, SEMPRE. Ganhas ao Braga à pala do Bruno Fernandes também. A vossa sorte foi esse ter voltado, senão estarias atrás do Moreirense e Guimarães. E mais, eu desde o inicio que digo que o Braga não vai ganhar o campeonato, nem nos próximos 50 anos. A não ser que o Benfica e o Porto sejam punidos pela pouca vergonha que têm feito desde ha muitos anos atrás. E sim, sou adepto do FCP e não me importava que fossem todos co crl para o bem do futebol, mas já sei que isso em PORTUGAL NUNCA VAI ACONTECER.
@JotaPeli Mas uma coisa disseste que concordo: 'não me importava que fossem todos co crl para o bem do futebol'. Porto, Benfica e Sporting é tudo farinha do mesmo saco. Uns mais corruptos que outros mas ninguém se aproveita. E só não coloco o Braga no mesmo saco porque para além de não terem feito nada de relevante (como disseste, mais valia por Boavista e Belenenses) dizer Braga ou Benfica B é a mesma coisa. É uma mera subserviência.
@JotaPeli @JotaPeli Deves estar a fazer mal as contas porque parece-me que o Sporting está à frente do Braga. A não ser que todos os sites estejam errados. O que não deixa de surpreender porque num ano de enorme crise (ainda maior) no Sporting, onde todos diziam que o Braga ia ficar à frente parece que pode não ficar assim na mesma. O que mostra que mesmo um bom Braga e com uma ajuda do Benfica não consegue sozinho lá chegar. Outra coisa, o teu critério é impressionante, falas que não se pode julgar uma equipa por um jogo ( ganhares um joguinho nao faz de "voces" melhores) mas depois falas que o Benfica ganha um jogo ao Sporting 4-2 esquecendo-te que Sporting arruma-os da Taça de Portugal. E porra, Jota; torna-se difícil levar-te a sério quando dizes que "eu desde o inicio que digo que o Braga não vai ganhar o campeonato, nem nos próximos 50 anos" quando em inglês no teu último comentário dizes que eles podem ganhar o campeonato. Ou teu inglês é uma merda ou és um mentiroso. Escolhe.