Arsenal will be facing Sporting Lisbon in a crucial match tonight as they aim to secure their place in the Europa League quarter-finals. The Gunners drew 2-2 with Sporting in the first leg of the round of 16 last week, and they will be looking to come out on top as they return to European action at the Emirates.
During the first leg, the hosts looked like the better team at times, but Hidemasa Morita’s own goal brought Arsenal level, and they came away with a result that left them feeling satisfied. Mikel Arteta’s side is now the favorite to move on, and they will be even more encouraged by the fact that their opponents have not won a game in England since 2005.
The Europa League round of 16 second leg will kick off at 8 pm. Arsenal’s starting XI will consist of Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Vieira, Xhaka, Nelson, Martinelli, and Jesus. The substitutes for Arsenal will be Turner, Hillson, Tierney, White, Partey, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Holding, and Trossard. Sporting’s starting XI will consist of Adan, Diomande, St Juste, Inacio, Reis, Esgaio, Ugarte, Goncalves, Trincao, Edwards, and Paulinho. The substitutes for Sporting will be Israel, Alexandropoulos, Santos, Neto, Rochinha, Issahaku, Tanlongo, Gomes, Cabral, Chermiti, Mateus, and Essugo.
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As the match progresses, fans can follow the live match blog below for regular updates. Arsenal will need to bring their A-game if they want to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. With Sporting Lisbon being a tough opponent to beat, it will be interesting to see how this match plays out.