Match Day Thread Arsenal vs Sporting CP - Matchday Thread

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Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: Thursday 16th March 2023
KO time: 20:00 GMT

Overall Record

Wins: 2
Draws: 3
Lost: 0

Last six meetings

Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-0 Sporting CP
Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 3-0 Sporting CP (Fairs Cup)
Sporting CP 0-0 Arsenal (Fairs Cup)

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Expecting a solid clinical display tonight which will set us up nicely for April.If defensively we are on the ball I see no reason why we can't win 2 or 3-0. If we can then beat Palace at home on Sunday it means we are 8 pts ahead of City with 10 games remaining and a QF in the Europa and we are in April!

 

Interesting XI. Let’s hope it works.

 

15 mins gone and we look utterly disjointed. Sporting all over us. Need to get a foothold of the game here otherwise we’re going to get dumped out the competition with a whimper.

No control at all in midfield.

They’re carefully targeting the left hand side that Zinchenko vacates when he inverts into midfield. May be a good idea to bring Tierney on to hold the width and stretch play.

 

Xhaka! 1-0! Been a bit better last 2-3 minutes, but that is totally against the run of play. Will take it, though. Let’s hope we fix up from here on in.

 

Oh no. Saliba limping off. Holding coming on. **** sake. Really hope it’s nothing serious.

 

Saliba off injured and Tomiyasu off injured within 22 minutes. How’s your luck?

 

Hopefully Saliba will be OK - he seemed to be holding his lower back.

 

I have to say Sporting are a good side. Technical and tactically sharp!

 

Trossard on for Jesus at HT. Hopefully another precautionary sub.

 

Second half has started exactly like the first. We are on the backfoot, dropping deeper and struggling to gain any control of the match. We are struggling with their technical superiority and athleticism. Need to fix up otherwise this is gonna be a very uncomfortable evening.

 

The chasm between our performances in this competition and the Premier League is like night and day. Players clearly not playing at their usual level.

 

And just like that. 1-1. More than deserved. What an absolute belter tbf. From the halfway line.

 

Saka and Partey coming on. Not surprising. Really would not want this going to ET.

 

Jorginho, Vieira and Xhaka as a midfield trio don’t work. Too lightweight, not enough physicality and not enough athleticism. This was my worry when we’re up against a motivated, physically-imposing and powerful midfield opposition.

 

They just keep coming at us, I don’t see how we keep them out the longer this carries on.

 

FT. 1-1. ET it is. ****ing shoot me. This is the worst case scenario.

 

Sporting have no games until the international break and this is their last realistic shot of a trophy, as they are out of the domestic Portuguese cups and are 4th in their league. No wonder they are playing like their lives depend on it.

Our attitude in this competition has been awful. And until we learn to cope without having to play an XI comprised of majority first-team players, we are never going to be able to compete on multiple fronts.

The players are playing at 80% and you can’t do that against tactically and technically good teams.

 

Trossard hits the post. Argh. I just feel like this won’t be our night.

 

This Adan guy has made some incredible saves to deny us from scoring, I have to say. Doesn’t give me much confidence should this go to penalties.