Livescore
07:17 PM
70 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 2
Sporting starting to look leggy. Arsenal work the ball to Nelson at the edge of the box but his right foot shot was always rising.
Another double sub from Arsenal. Correction, a triple sub: Partey, Gabriel and Smith Rowe coming on from Kiwior, Jorginho and Nelson.
07:15 PM
68 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 2
Arteta has made a change: Tomiyasu on for Zinchenko, who summed up Arsenal’s performance – some real frissons of class but some daft stuff as well.
Arsenal are keeping the in the Sporting half now.
07:12 PM
66 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 2
Sometimes these Europa League games can be sleepy affairs, but this game has gone haywire. Martinelli almost scored a third for Arsenal, but his header was tipped over the bar. Both teams could have scored more.
07:09 PM
GOOOOAALL! Arsenal level with one of the luckiest goals you will see
Xhaka was looking for Martinelli, but his cross into the box was deflected into the net by Morita. The goal was checked by Var for a foul by Saka in the build up, but the referee points to the centre spot.
07:08 PM
62 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 1
Chances coming at both ends. Sporting cut Arsenal apart and Paulinho had some much time and space with only Turner to beat but shot high and wide.
07:05 PM
60 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 1
Martinelli almost scored the goal of the season! Went past about four Sporting players with a mazy from his own half, but he tried to go around the goalkeeper which narrowed the angle. St Juste did really well to get back and block the shot.
Adan takes the corner at the second attempt.
07:04 PM
58 minutes: Sporting 2 Arsenal 1
It is all happening here now, Morita is booked for a challenge on Vieira and he will miss the second leg through suspension.
07:02 PM
GOOOOAAALL! Sporting lead through Paulinho
Arsenal’s defending on that counter was not great and Sporting kept it alive. Edwards threaded a lovely pass into Gonçalves in the box, his low shot was well-saved by Turner but Paulinho was there to score the rebound.
07:01 PM
55 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Sporting press well from the front and Arsenal kick long out for a throw. Arsenal are soon into another period of possession in the Sporting half but Coates hammers away Nelson’s cross.
Then Sporting really threaten on the counter-attack, and Saliba has to produce an outstanding clearance.
06:57 PM
53 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal piling the pressure on now. Nelson should really have played Martinelli in, before the Brazilian heads over a Zinchenko cross. Arsenal need to sustain this. In the first half they slacked off after their good spells.
06:56 PM
51 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal go close again after Sporting play their way into trouble. Vieira caught the strike from 25 yards as sweet as a nut, and it whistled just wide of the post. Attacking encouragement for Arsenal in the last few minutes.
06:55 PM
49 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Good save Adan at the other end! It was a delightful reverse pass from Zinchenko, but the Sporting goalkeeper stood firm as Martinelli tried to lift it over him from a tight angle. Brilliant from the ‘left-back’.
06:54 PM
47 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal guilty of losing the ball when they are open, and Turner has to beat away a Trincao shot from a tight angle. No changes from Amorim or Arteta at the breatk.
06:52 PM
The players are back out for the second half
Can Arsenal step things up in the second half?
06:39 PM
What will Arteta be saying?
I think he’ll be a bit annoyed at Arsenal trying to take the proverbial out of their opponents at times, attracting pressure with an extra touch or pass in the right areas. When Arsenal progress the ball with tempo they look dangerous.
06:37 PM
One of Arsenal’s best players so far
06:35 PM
Sam Dean on a worrying trend
Why have Arsenal suddenly become so bad at defending corners? It’s an increasingly concerning issue for Arteta’s side. In recent weeks they have conceded set piece goals against Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton and Manchester United.
06:35 PM
HT: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
As tends to be the case with these mix-and-match XIs in the Europa League, it has been a mixed bag from Arsenal. Some strong spells with nice interplay, but a couple of bad moments from Turner at the back, notably from the Sporting corner for the equaliser. Arsenal just need to stay professional and do the basics right, they can all-but finish this tie tonight.
06:33 PM
45+2 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Turner with almost a disastrous moment, with Sporting pouncing on a short pass he attempted in his own box. He was lucky the first touch was heavy and Arsenal were able to clear.
06:32 PM
45 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Another dangerous Arsenal delivery, and Adan did well to get something on it as Nelson threatened to get a touch on Xhaka’s cross. The goalkeeper goes down and wastes some time.
06:30 PM
44 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Xhaka’s header was actually not far from cross the line, it was a good save from Adan. Martinelli peels out to the left, but his cross towards Saka was too strong.
Arsenal then do really well to play out of a tight spot and flow forward, and Nelson wins a free-kick.
There will be three minutes of added time.
06:27 PM
41 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal’s interplay down their right has been lovely so far, Vieira’s influence on the game is growing. His clips in another cross that is glanced behind for a corner, from which Adan is called into a save. It was Xhaka with a back post header.
06:25 PM
39 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Sporting throw a punch back, Edwards unleashing a shot from 25 yards which Turner does really well to tip around the post. This time, Arsenal defend the corner and clear.
06:24 PM
37 minutes: Sporting 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal trying to reassert their dominance, and they are enjoying sustained spell of possession in the Sporting half.
Jorginho feeds Vieira with a lovely pass into the box, and his inswinger cross is scrambled away.
06:21 PM
GOOOOAAALL! Sporting level, another set-piece goal
Arsenal’s goalkeeper Turner will not want to see this one again. It was a decent in-swinging deliver but Inacio was only a few yards out when he headed home unmarked. Turner was rooted and Kiwior ducked under it.
06:19 PM
35 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Another moment of sloppiness from Arsenal, Zinchenko’s ball towards Nelson was loose, and a deflected shot from distance requires Turner to tip it wide for a corner.
06:17 PM
33 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal getting a little cocky on the ball just outside their own penalty area, first Zinchenko and then Turner. Edwards picks up the ball in a dangerous position, but Arsenal cover off his attempted through ball. Saka wins a foul near halfway to help Arsenal reestablish some control.
06:15 PM
30 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Sporting with their first attack in some time but Edwards’ cross is skimmed clear by Turner. Martinelli tracks back Coates all the way into his own half to help Arsenal win the ball back. Jorginho and Zinchenko helps Arsenal play out from deep.
Zinchenko is down after a collision with Paulinho, looked a clash of knees, but he looks to be back to his feet.
06:13 PM
28 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Sporting struggling to deal with Arsenal’s work rate – neither working their way through the pressure with short passes or finding a more direct outlet. Saka floats in a cross but it is straight down the goalkeeper’s throat.
06:11 PM
25 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 1
Right from the restart, Vieira was running at the Sporting back five and Coates tripped him up. Arsenal call for a second yellow, but a referee is never going to give one so soon after the first. Arsenal in a strong position now.
Zinchenko shoots into the wall, but his follow-up effort is fizzed towards goal and Adan tips over.
06:09 PM
Confirmed: Goal given
We are back under as the clock strikes 24.
06:09 PM
There was some afters after the goal
It seems Coates and Zinchenko have been booked which means the Sporting defender misses the second leg.
Sporting felt Zinchenko was wrestling a defender at the back post.
The game has not kicked off some two minutes later.
06:08 PM
GOOOAAALL! Saliba heads Arsenal into the lead
Sporting are appealing for a foul, but after Vieira won a corner down the right Saliba rose highest in the box to glance home a textbook header. It was an excellent delivery from Vieira and Saliba was unmarked.
06:05 PM
20 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Patient build-up play from Arsenal but Coates is all over Martinelli to win the ball back when they look for the striker. Arsenal are starting to get on top in this game after a shaky start.
Inacio stands on Vieira’s achilles and concedes a foul on halfway.
06:03 PM
18 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Sporting’s short corner is poorly executed and they end up all the way back with their goalkeeper. Trincao finds some space down the left, but White sticks to his tasks and Arsenal see out the danger. Reiss Nelson on his toes to win a loose ball in midfield.
06:00 PM
15 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Both Saka and Martinelli are drifting off their starting positions wide right and central, picking up pockets of space. Sporting trying to test Arsenal’s high line with the long ball, but this one skips through to Turner.
Then Sporting win a corner thanks to Edwards’ dribbling down the right. It was a loose pass from Jorginho originally.
05:58 PM
13 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Sporting clear the corner, but Arsenal keep them boxed in their own half.
Much better from Arteta’s team. Xhaka keeps a chipped Vieira cross alive, and Nelson sees a shot from inside the penalty area blocked. Feels like Arsenal are starting to find their rhythm.
05:56 PM
11 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Play stops for a couple of minutes with Paulinho down after a knock. Arteta gets his players over for a mini-team talk.
Good work from first Saka, and then Martinelli, to turn and dribble at the Sporting defence. Arsenal have their first corner of the night.
05:54 PM
8 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Nice run through midfield from Vieira for Arsenal but he and Martinelli were not on the same wavelength. Sporting content to let Arsenal have the ball in deep areas, the visitors need to try and turn them earlier.
Good burst from Esgaio down the right for Sporting, but Saliba clears his low cross. Sporting carrying a threat.
05:51 PM
6 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Quick feet from Nelson to burst down the left but it was always difficult for Martinelli to get over the header.
First chance of the game falls to Sporting and Goncalves! Jorginho caught out with a long ball over the top having found himself in a centre-back position. Goncalves cut inside from the left channel but his shot was always going wide.
05:49 PM
4 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Saliba does well to defend a long ball on the cover, but Kiwior’s pass sells White a little short and he hoofs out for a throw. Arsenal press Sporting back into their own box, and Martinelli threatens to pinch it off the goalkeeper Adan.
Both teams reluctant to send the ball forward too early with long balls.
05:47 PM
2 minutes: Sporting 0 Arsenal 0
Lots of empty green seats in the stadium which tends to be the case for these early kick offs – the ground fills up as the locals finish work. Arsenal seeing a lot of the ball right from kick off, but all of their possession is in front of the home team.
05:45 PM
KICK OFF!
Arsenal get us going, playing in red and white.
05:44 PM
Granit Xhaka captains Arsenal tonight
Says plenty about his resurgence and Arsenal’s season that it will attract little attention.
05:43 PM
The players are on their way out
Arsenal’s team features some key players. The reward for going strong can be to make the second leg a formality. I think coaches also think players are more likely to conserve energy if the performance is cohesive.
Sporting have four players who are a yellow card away from missing the game at the Emirates.
05:41 PM
Sam Dean from Lisbon on Arsenal’s squad depth
For much of this season, Arsenal’s bench has been filled with academy kids who have little chance of actually making it onto the pitch. The lack of depth was, at times, startling. Then everything changed in January, when Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho joined the club.
Sadly for Arsenal, they are now back in the situation where the bench looks worryingly thin. Especially in attack, where Trossard (groin) and Martin Odegaard (unwell) are absent tonight, along with Eddie Nketiah (ankle) and Gabriel Jesus (knee). Kieran Tierney is also missing through illness.
This is how Arsenal’s bench looks tonight: Ramsdale (g), Hillson (g), Partey, Gabriel, Smith Rowe, Holding, Tomiyasu, Bandeira, Sagoe Jr, Smith, Walters
As you can see, there are not many experienced attacking options there.
05:34 PM
No rest for Bukayo Saka once again
05:33 PM
Arteta on the Bournemouth win and trusting Kiwior
Emotionally, a really intense moment it gave us a big boost but now is a completely different competition against a very tough opponent.
That’s our aim for sure. Every competition you play for this club you have to be here to win it. We made six changes because we had issues with several players, some who are not him.
Kiwior is a player we really like and he has to start somewhere.
05:28 PM
Martin Keown on Arsenal’s selection
I think Mikel Arteta has picked a really good team tonight. There is enough strength in there, even with the six changes. They still look strong.
05:11 PM
Can Sporting trouble Arsenal?
Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five games in the Europa League, although each
of the last five goals they have conceded in the competition have come in away games.
04:58 PM
Not often you wait so long to see a new signing these days
04:45 PM
Arteta names a strong team despite six changes
I make that three of Arsenal’s first-choice back four, one of their first-choice midfield three and two of their first-choice front three.
Arteta’s hands were tied somewhat: Tierney and Odegaard miss out through illness, while Trossard and Nketiah have knocks. Jesus did not travel to Portugal.
Slightly surprised that the Arsenal manager has risked Zinchenko with Tomiyasu available. In an ideal world, I’m sure he would liked to have benched Saka, but not sure there are options.
04:41 PM
And there is the Sporting team…
04:39 PM
Arsenal team: Kiwior in for debut, no Jesus in squad
04:16 PM
How strong will Arteta go in the Europa League?
It is more than four months since Arsenal last played in Europe and this evening they restart their Europa League campaign with an away last-16 first leg against Sporting CP.
With Mikel Arteta’s team five points clear at the top of the Premier League with 12 games to go, the importance of this competition will be debated. Arsenal are 99 per cent certain to be playing Champions League football this season, which is usually a key incentive to go for the Europa League. In order to hold off the challenge of Manchester City, Arsenal need all of the margins in their favour and it could be argued this is a needless distraction.
That said, Arsenal have not won a European trophy since 1994 which is a poor return for a club of their resources, and they should be able to navigate Europa League opposition while rotating their team. The January arrivals of Jorginho, Jakukb Kiowir and Leandro Trossard made the squad deeper, though Trossard and Eddie Nketiah’s short-term injuries leave them a little light up front at present. The return of Gabriel Jesus will help, and the Brazilian has travelled with the squad to Lisbon and there is an outside chance he could feature from the bench.
Sporting coach Ruben Amorim is tipped to be a rising star, and his team impressed in their Champions League group games against Tottenham. Former Spurs academy product Marcus Edwards will be up for facing Arsenal, although there is a friendly face in Sporting’s ranks in the form of Hector Bellerin. Sporting are weakened by the absence of defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte due to suspension.
From an Arsenal perspective, all eyes are on how strong Arteta is prepared to go in order to take command of the tie tonight. Arsenal travel to Fulham on Sunday.
Full team news on the way shortly.
Read the full article here
