• The Arsenal

  • Arsenal @ Sporting CP - Tue 26 Nov 20h00 GMT (Champs League)

Looking forward to this. An opportunity to rotate in some of the players who sat on the bench versus Nottingham. I thought we looked good in our last Champs League game and were unfortunate to lose to a penalty, which was basically Inter's only shot.

We are 12th, so top 8 still requires some work. Sporting CP are now in the post-Amorin era, but they dispatched some port-filled part-timers 6-0 on Friday night, so they remain deadly. We all know about Gyokeres and his 16 goals in 11 league games, and 4 goals 5 champions league games - including 2 against the blue cheats. Some numbers

  • Sporting CP beat City despite having only 27% possession
  • They are one of 6 unbeaten teams in Champs League
  • We are winless in last 5 away games in Champs League
  • Sporting have a perfect record after 11 games in their domestic league

So this will be a hard game where we will need to lean on our best players and some big game experience.

Raya
Timber - Saliba - Gabriel - Calafiori
Odegaard - Rice - Partey
Saka Havertz Martinelli

Vamos!!!

I would take a draw there. We struggled massively the last time we played them, although the only saving grace is this is not a Amorim team anymore so nobody to outfox us.

We have bought players that did well against us, so kinda hoping Gyokeres impress.

No disrespect to Sporting at all intended but we need to be winning this one if we're planning on being a serious European outfit. We're at home and have a better team/squad; with automatic qualification very much on the line after a couple of disappointing results in Italy, we need to be winning this match.

    Don Pacifico We are away mate. Claude literally put up there we are winless in our last 5 away games 😆 And Sporting home record is superb

        Clrnc oh whoops, misread the thread title.

        I'm inclined to think form stats like the ones you mention are a bit overstated. Majority of Sporting's home record will be against weak opposition. Additionally, it is within our agency to not be as shit away from home (ie. That record has to change at some point!).

          Away in europe, 11 men behind the ball and try to get a draw, there is not other option if you ask Arteta.

          2-2

          Huge opportunity to scout Gyokeres.

          Portugese league is fine, but he'll be up against a true CB pairing today.

          I think we will win 2 nil but our away record in Europe doesn't inspire any confidence so I'm really just blinded by my Arsenal fan tints.

          Havertz and Odegaard with the goals 🤭

          I really don't understand Arteta's obsession with this Partey-Rice-Odegaard midfield. Partey's progressive numbers aren't even all that amazing this season anyway.

            Arteta picked my lineup. He’s sharp

            DiabyKungFu

            You mean other than the fact that we look much better with that kind of balance? Im sure we will see Merino at some point during the game also.

                DiabyKungFu don't think we've ever played great with havertz in midfield. the slickest football we played when we were slapping teams by 4-5 goals was with jorginho, rice and odegaard in midfield

                we'll see how yukkyrez fares against wilo and gabby