Posted by Here are my three takeaways from Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Sporting’s Estadio José Alvalade, which sends the Gunners top of Europa League Group E.
Professional Performance Gives Gunners 11th Win In a Row
In their last two Premier League matches, Arsenal produced their two best attacking performances of the season. Round 8 saw them blow away Fulham 5-1 before a dominating second half in round 9 saw them dispatch Leicester 3-1. Although coach Unai Emery brought a very strong squad to Lisbon, the Gunners seemed likely to have trouble finding the same attacking fluency without players such as Mesut Özil and Alexandre Lacazette in the starting lineup.
Emery laid out his side in their habitual 4-3-3, with midfielder Granit Xhaka fielded as an emergency left-back, while Sokratis returned from injury to partner Rob Holding at center-back. Up top, left-winger Danny Welbeck and center-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were given the freedom to interchange positions. Nevertheless, Welbeck and Aubameyang didn’t see much of the ball in the first half, with chances at a premium for both sides.
Having won their last 10 in a row and seeking to get one win closer to the club record of 14, Arsenal began to turn the screw early in the second half. Aubameyang passed up two great opportunities in as many minutes, first hitting a right-footed shot straight at goalkeeper Renan Ribeiro before the Brazilian netminder made a fantastic stop with his left hand to block the Gabonese star’s attempt to chip him from close range. Welbeck then nearly found the breakthrough after great work from the influential Matteo Guendouzi. After nutmegging his marker in the box, the Frenchmen slid the ball across goal for Welbeck, who saw his low, left-footed effort deflect out for a corner.
By the midway point of the second half, the Gunners were dominating possession and forcing Sporting to defend deep in their own end. They eventually found the breakthrough, with Welbeck powering home through Ribeiro’s legs after former Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates failed to cut out a pass forward from substitute Lucas Torreira. Welbeck’s goal underlined his importance to Arsenal’s cause, with the strike representing his second goal in the Europa League and fourth in all competitions.
Although Arsenal were not as threatening going forward as they had been in recent matches, they will take heart from yet another victory. The team seems to have developed a habit of winning when not playing well, as they also managed to beat Everton and Watford after being second best for long spells. Emery will still be concerned with the Gunners’ inability to put matches away in the first half, as another improved performance after halftime brought them the three points here. Still with a perfect record in Group E and facing second-placed Sporting at the Emirates in a fortnight, the Gunners took a huge step towards topping their group here.
Torreira a Game-Changer At Both Ends of the Pitch
After signing from Sampdoria in a 26.4 million pound move this summer, defensive midfielder Torreira was expected to slide into the starting lineup right away. However, the Uruguayan had to wait until round 6 against Everton to make his first Premier League start. Even though he was influential in substitute appearances before playing the full 90 minutes against the Toffees, Torreira’s positive effect on the team has been accentuated in recent weeks. Although short in stature, Torreira’s expert positioning allows him to win the ball back cleanly and pressure opposition forwards and midfielders.
When he first came to Europe at Pescara, Torreira was an attacking midfielder. Although he was gradually moved back deeper into midfield, Torreira’s attacking ability has not deserted him. With Arsenal fans desperate for a defensive-minded midfielder after years of inability to replace Patrick Vieira, Torreira’s skill on the ball was perhaps overlooked initially. However, against Sporting he underlined how his attacking contribution can be just as important to Arsenal’s success as his defensive work.
With Mohamed Elneny partnering Guendouzi in midfield at the start against Sporting, Arsenal had trouble creating dangerous situations for their forwards and attacking midfielders. Although he is undoubtedly a tidy player on the ball, Elneny lacks the ambitious mindset of Torreira when in possession. Once Torreira replaced the Egyptian in the 58th minute, however, both of Arsenal’s deeper-sitting midfielders were looking to play forward passes into their attacking midfielders or forwards at every opportunity. This change in attitude helped the Gunners find the winner.
Minutes before Welbeck’s strike, a forward pass from Torreira into Aubameyang saw the Gabonese fouled just outside the box. Torreira stepped up to take and nearly scored, forcing a diving save from Ribeiro. Another forward pass from Torreira helped start Welbeck’s goal. Again looking to play into Aubameyang’s feet, the ball went past the former Dortmund man and towards the run of Welbeck in behind Coates, who couldn’t stop the ball from running through to the England international to score. Although Torreira had not broken the Sporting defense open with a laser-guided through ball a la Özil, his forward-thinking helped turn the game in the Gunners’ favor.
Sporting Insipid in Attack
Although they made the quarterfinals of this competition last year, suffering elimination at the hands of eventual champions Atlético Madrid, Sporting’s 2017-18 campaign ended in acrimonious circumstances. Days before the Portuguese Cup Final, Sporting ultras attacked players and staff at the club’s training ground, beating and injuring several players and coaches. Some reported that the attack was instigated by the club’s own president, Bruno de Carvalho.
In the wake of the vicious assault, seven players rescinded their contracts. Even though some of these players, including Portuguese international Bruno Fernandes, eventually re-signed with the team, Sporting still lost key pieces such as Gelson Martins and William Carvalho this offseason. Nevertheless, Sporting still possess quality in their squad. Argentinean Marcos Acuña was a constant danger going forward from left-back, twice nutmegging Stephen Lichsteiner in the first half. On the wings, Fernandes and former Manchester United man Nani routinely interchanged positions in an effort to trouble the Gunners rearguard.
However, Sporting looked bereft of cutting edge, and did not register a single shot on target. After neutralizing Arsenal’s attack in the first half, the club that formed Cristiano Ronaldo began to rock at the back as the London side moved through the gears after halftime. With Sporting already on six points before the start of play, they are unlikely to have trouble securing passage to the knockout stages. Yet, their performance here suggested that they are unlikely to advance as far into the tournament as they did in 2017/18.
Just for Kicks 