Arsenal vs Sporting Lisbon Predictions

• Sporting had five shots on target against Arsenal last week
• The Portuguese champions have found the net in nine of their 11 Champions League games this season
• Martinelli has scored in six of his 10 appearances in this competition this term

Vital week for Gunners

Arsenal’s late winner in Lisbon last week looked like the perfect response to back-to-back cup defeats. The Gunners took control of their Champions League quarter-final with that 1-0 win over Sporting, but they suffered a familiar slip on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth.

That loss to the Cherries was reminiscent of the home loss to Aston Villa two years ago which ultimately cost them the Premier League title. That defeat also came in between two legs of a Champions League quarter-final, but that Gunners side had a thinner squad and a tougher test to negotiate against Bayern Munich.

There’s a familiar fear growing for the Gunners, and they head to a buoyant Manchester City side on Sunday. Defeat at the Etihad would hand control of the title race to Pep Guardiola’s team, so Mikel Arteta could be facing the biggest week of his managerial career so far.

Warning signs in Lisbon

While Arsenal’s weekend defeat was a surprise, there were warning signs in last week’s first leg. Sporting had five shots on target, and only David Raya’s heroics prevented the Portuguese champions from opening the scoring.

The visitors will need to play on the front foot at some stage in London, and last week’s clash was only the second time they’ve failed to score in this competition this term. Sporting have found the net in visits to Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Napoli this term, and Arsenal’s weekend slip will increase their confidence ahead of this game.

Martinelli can trouble Sporting

For all the criticisms of Arsenal’s style, they’ve got an impressive record going forward in the Champions League this season. They’ve scored 27 goals across their 11 games in Europe, scoring at least once in every game.

Gabriel Martinelli has made a real impact in Europe, netting in six of the 10 games he has appeared in. The winger had a shot on target after coming off the bench in Lisbon, and he set up Kai Havertz for the winning goal. The Brazilian has scored in four of his five Champions League appearances at the Emirates this season, and he’s backed for a goal on Wednesday.