At a Glance:
- Arsenal take a 1-0 lead into their Champions League quarter-final second leg tie against Sporting.
- Mikel Arteta has a number of injury issues to contend with.
- The likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber could all be unavailable once again.
Arsenal host Sporting CP in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday night at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners snatched a win in the first leg in Lisbon, with Kai Havertz’s 91st-minute goal ensuring Mikel Arteta’s side returned to North London in a commanding position. Since this late victory in the Portuguese capital, the mood music around N5 has shifted significantly.
Bournemouth beat Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday, before Manchester City strolled past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 24 hours later. These two results have dented the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes, as they now only have a six-point lead at the summit of the English top flight, having played a game more than the Citizens.
The momentum is not with Arteta’s men, and they desperately need a result against Sporting to lift the mood ahead of Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad. A potential semi-final encounter with either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid awaits, and Arteta will no doubt use these exciting match-ups as fuel to motivate his team.
| Date | Result | Competition |
| 07/04/2026 | Sporting 0-1 Arsenal | Champions League |
| 26/09/2024 | Sporting 1-5 Arsenal | Champions League |
| 16/03/2023 | Arsenal 1-1 Sporting (3-5 on pens) | Champions League |
| 09/03/2023 | Sporting 2-2 Arsenal | Champions League |
| 08/11/2018 | Arsenal 0-0 Sporting | Europa League |
| 25/10/2018 | Sporting 0-1 Arsenal | Europa League |
Arsenal team news vs Sporting, Bukayo Saka injury update
Arsenal’s squad remains somewhat depleted. The Gunners were without five key players for the visit of Bournemouth, and it’s not yet clear whether any of these players will be available for the Sporting second leg.
Bukayo Saka’s fitness status remains a mystery. The winger hasn’t featured since the Carabao Cup final, before the international break, despite Arteta claiming that he was close to making the matchday squad multiple times. According to Premier Injuries, Saka has a 50% chance of being involved against Rui Borges’ side, as he’s currently being assessed.
Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard’s injury issues continue. The Norwegian returned after the international break for just two games before sustaining yet another setback. It would appear that he’s less likely to play against Sporting than Saka.
Elsewhere, full-back pairing Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori both missed the game against Bournemouth. Timber is fighting his way back from a groin problem and hasn’t played since the Everton clash in mid-March. As for Calafiori, the Italian played 90 minutes in Lisbon and hasn’t trained since.
Arteta’s press conference on Tuesday evening should provide more clarity.
Predicted Arsenal line-up vs Sporting CP
It’s very difficult to predict what sort of team Arteta is likely to field at the moment, given the plethora of injury issues he has to contend with. It’s not clear whether Odegaard, Saka, Calafiori or Timber will feature, although Mikel Merino is certainly out.
David Raya will retain his place in goal, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will start in front of the Spaniard at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. Ben White is likely to be selected at right-back again in Timber’s absence, although it’s not that unlikely that Arteta could call upon Cristhian Mosquera in this role after a handful of uneasy performances from White.
Myles Lewis-Skelly performed well against Bournemouth, although Piero Hincapie is likely to come into the side if deemed ready. There is a case to be made for Lewis-Skelly to start in midfield over Martin Zubimendi, although it’s not in Arteta’s nature to experiment with such a set-up at such a critical stage of the season.
Zubimendi will therefore partner Declan Rice once again, with Eberechi Eze likely coming in to start ahead of this double pivot. Off the left, Leandro Trossard will replace Gabriel Martinelli after a meek display from the Brazilian against the Cherries, while Noni Madueke will once again start on the right in Saka’s absence.
Viktor Gyokeres will complete the team up front, with Kai Havertz likely to drop to the bench.
Predicted Arsenal line-up vs Sporting CP: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Arsenal vs Sporting CP Prediction
Sporting may have provided Arsenal with a stern test at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, but their fortunes away from their hostile home have been markedly different this term. Borges’ side have an imperious record on their own soil, while they tend to struggle on their travels, particularly in Europe.
Thus, this ought to be a relatively comfortable night for the Gunners, although Arteta’s side’s form is a huge concern. It’s certainly possible that the tension within the Emirates gets to the Arsenal players, and they subsequently crumble against what is still a very competent Sporting team.
That said, the Gunners should ultimately have too much for their Portuguese counterparts.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Sporting
