Arsenal v Sporting Preview, Team News, Line-up and Score Prediction

So Arsenal have yet another home game to reach the amazing milestone of 15 games unbeaten under Unai Emery. Sporting Lisbon are our opponents and the lads will be feeling confident after taking all three points in Portugal just a fortnight ago. That was our third meeting ever with them and we are yet to concede a goal – so history is on our side…

Emery went with a very rotated side in the away leg and is certain to do the same tonight, but we have to admit that it was far from an easy win for the Gunners. Sporting are currently under a caretaker manager until his replacement is announced, and they have a few of their best players out injured, but Emery is aware they are no pushovers. “Firstly, respect for them.” he said. “They are a team with very good players, very good history, also in this competition. They’ve changed the coach but I think for them tomorrow is a very big match and a very good test in this competition, also for fighting for first position against us. But we want tomorrow to give a big match with our personality.

“Of course the first [target] for us is to finish first in this group. Tomorrow is a very important match because they are second in the table and if we win, we are first in the group. That’s our clear target tomorrow.”

We will still be missing Mohammed Elneny, and yet again Sokratis and Monreal are still in recovery mode so our defence could be a bit makeshift.

With Leno having been promoted for the Liverpool, I am expecting Cech to be between the sticks this evening. Lichtsteiner should start on the left with Bellerin on the right, and it looks like Mustafi and Holding again as centre-backs.

Guendouzi was suspended for Liverpool so will be keen to get on today, while both Ramsey and Mhkitaryan look like they need a confidence booster and hopefully will play better today. I’m expecting to see Maitland-Niles again and Aubameyang and Welbeck will make up our forward line.

So here is my predicted line-up….

Cech
Bellerin.. Mustafi.. Holding.. Lichtsteiner
Maitland-Niles.. Guendouzi.. Ramsey
Mhkitaryan.. Aubameyang.. Welbeck

I think that this should be more than enough to take care of a weakened Sporting side, and I’m going for a reasonably easy 2-0 win for the Gunners….
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20 Comments

  1. Why Ramsey though, my man Smith Row is the future and he should play. Ramsey can warm the bench if he likes. I am very happy with some of the youngsters. Did i say that i am also big fan boy of Niles. yeh. The future is bright. Up the Arsenal.

    Lichti as left back, Niles on the right. Ramsey out Smith row in. And the line up is perfect

    1. We have a new boy Saka a left winger at 17 looking amazing for Ljunberg’s team. Check him out on Arsenal.com against Forest Green.
      I think our future is very bright, it might take 2-3 years to get rid of the overpaid under performing “stars” and fill the team with Sven’s young finds and our youngsters but it’s happening. For the first time in over a decade the future looks very bright and I have the patience to wait for it.
      I would love to start seeing these guys play at least in Carabao games.
      In defense we have Bellerin-Mavros-Holding – Lacking a young LB
      in midfield we have Torreira-AMN-ESR-Guendouzi and Willock
      In Attack we have Nelson-Nketiah-Iwobi and this kid Saka
      All this without any transfers.
      I really do hope this will be our new Golden generation, the type of generation Sir Alex had at Man.U with Gigs, Scholes,Beckham etc…

  2. My prediction is almost the same as yours:

    ……………………….Cech
    Lichtsteiner . Mustafi . Holding . Monreal
    …….Maitland-Niles …… Guendouzi
    Mkhitaryan ………Ramsey ………Welbeck
    ………………….Aubameyang

    1. i think to, this is a good lineup to care of the game. Just in case the goals are not coming, Alex should be near to come in for Mkhi or Ramsey.

  3. FOR YOUR LINEUP ONLY ONE CORRECTION THATS ROWE FOR RAMSI AND ITS PERFECT LINEUP RAMSI SHOULD WAIT FOR HIS FREE TRANSFER MOVE ON THE BENCH SINCE HE DOESENT WANT ARSENAL TO GET MONEY FROM HIS TRANSFER.

  4. not one for breaking news type talk or transfer speculations but came across some info yesterday that arsenal might be interested in a CM/CDM in Eric dos Santos Rodrigues (Ramires) who might be brought in Jan. It could go some way as to explain why another CM in Ramsay is allowed to leave.

  5. OT. I just finished looking at some Cazola video clips. Oh my… how is that little guy doing all that stuff with his legs making opposition players falling down left, right, behind? Where are we going to get another Cazola?
    Yeah I know we have Torreira now, but Cazola brings something different. That guy is unique – he just made my day.

  6. Cech
    Lichsteiner
    Mustafi
    Holding
    Jenkinson/M. Niles

    Mkhitaryan
    Ramsey
    Guendouzi
    M. Niles/Welbeck
    Smith R.

    Welbeck/Auba

  7. The Arsenal fan who complained about Tott’s advertisement on a train. Totts’ said that their ground will be the only place to watch CL football next season. AFC fan! – Legend!. He called it false advertising and said it might trick some kid into following them, only leading them into a life full of disappointment. Got the advertisement committee to look into it and they agreed it was false advertisement.

      1. Yeah it was just on the ITV national news too and I’m also hearing that their new toilet bowl stadium won’t be open in January but more like March. Hopefully the stadium sponsor will be Toilet Duck, replacing their usual chicken on the stadium roof?

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