Sporting CP face ‘an impossible task’ in Arsenal after nightmare UEFA Europa League last-16 draw
Arsenal met Sporting CP in the Europa League round of 16, avoiding Juventus and Sevilla. The Gunners will take on the 19-time Portuguese champions in seven games over a 23-day span in March.
Sporting CP beat Danish club Midtjylland in the knockout play-off round only to draw potential tournament favorites Arsenal. It wasn’t the opponent they were hoping for at the time, having already been relegated from a Champions League group that also included the Gunners’ north London rivals Tottenham.
To understand how Sporting might feel after the draw football.london spoke to Portuguese football expert and Sporting supporter Jose Miguel from Lisbon. Jose provided insights into a range of topics including Hector Bellerin’s return, the threats Arsenal like Marcus Edwards and Pedro Goncalves will face and where the tactical weaknesses of the Gunners’ opponents are to be found.
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This is arguably the worst draw Sporting CP could have made. What was your reaction to the draw?
“Definitely yes. I mean it’s the team that has done best in the Premier League this season. Probably the best team to have played in the top five leagues so far I think.
“I’ve been watching Arsenal closely this season, I try to watch every game, I do my best and I’m very impressed. They’ve taken the best from players who might have been a little forgotten or underperforming [Martin] Odegaard and Granit Xhaka, I mean he’s not my favorite player at all but he’s done good things this season.
“I was loving [Thomas] Partey so far and now with Jorginho it’s even stronger. [Eddie] Nketiah didn’t seem like an option at all early in the season and now he’s a great forward.
So Sporting could not have hoped for anything worse. I think Sporting have strengths that can make a difference against a team like Arsenal, but it’s going to be very difficult; I mean it’s an impossible task to beat Arsenal at this moment.
“Most of all, I think it’s going to be a great game. Two teams playing very positive football, forward looking but Arsenal have some strengths that Sporting can’t even dream of eliminating.”
Sporting won the league two seasons ago, last season they finished second and now their fourth. What happened in those two years?
“So Sporting won the Portuguese title in the first season when Ruben Amorim took over and it was kind of unexpected. Nobody knew how Sporting would play tactically.
“Amorim took players from the youth team, from the Portuguese league, who weren’t that famous. He signed Pedro Goncalves from Famalicao, who finished sixth that season, and Nuno Santos from Rio Ave, who finished fifth.
“These were average players, nobody seemed to care too much about them but they made a difference. Although the players weren’t stars, they formed a team.
“He was able to form a team where all the players work together and get the best out of them. But I think the element of surprise was what made the difference this season and has faded so far.
“Sporting has not invested what I think should be invested. In this particular season it was tough [Joao] Palhinha was sold in the summer [to Fulham]and everyone knew he was leaving but in the final days of the window Matheus Nunes was signed by Wolves and nobody expected it.
“There was even some controversy in Portugal because Ruben Amorim said Nunes would stay and the next day he was sold. Losing Palhinha and Nunez has completely destroyed the midfield and I mean Amorim has been trying to make amends with the players he has who are not at the same level as the ones who were sold.
“I think fourth place this season is fair because Sporting haven’t played great. But there are moments when Sporting gives the impression that they’re going back to the old Sporting, but it’s occasional, it’s not constant.”
The obvious link between Arsenal and Sporting is that of Hector Bellerin, who came on to replace Pedro Porro in January. How did you react to his arrival and how has he fared in the short stint since then?
“He was fine. Hector Bellerin hasn’t played many games, he hasn’t played many minutes for Barcelona this season, I think everyone knows that.
“He was a very promising player at Arsenal, I perfectly remember him playing at Arsenal. Great pace, did a lot in the last third of the pitch and I think it fits perfectly with Sporting’s tactics.
“He’s not Pedro Porro at all. They’re not the same and I know Porro’s debut for Tottenham wasn’t great to say the least.
“But Bellerin can still make a difference, he’s very fast. He doesn’t have the ability to play one-on-one in the final third that Porro had and he’s still catching up physically and tactically at Sporting so far.
“But knowing that the alternative to Bellerin is Ricardo Esgaio is a big improvement. Esgaio just doesn’t have the level to play for Sporting and I sincerely hope he doesn’t play against Arsenal otherwise Martinelli will have a great time.
“I hope Bellerin returns to his former level with Arsenal and even Real Betis where he has had some great performances. I think he’s a great asset so let’s see he’s still catching up so let’s check that out and see how he does until the end of the season.
What other threats should Arsenal watch out for? Arsenal and English football fans will know Marcus Edwards and others will know Goncalves as well, are those the two most important?
“They are definitely the most important. I think Manuel Ugarte, the defensive midfielder, won’t play in the first leg because he’s suspended, but he’s a great player; I wouldn’t see him as a threat, but he controls midfield very well defensively.
“I think that’s actually a weakness of Sporting. I don’t know who will play but they won’t be as good as Ugarte.
“But yeah, Pedro Goncalves from left, Marcus Edwards from right, I think that’s how they’re going to play. Goncalves has also played as a central midfielder but I don’t think it’s the best position for him because he’s way too far from goal.
“If you watched the game against Midtjylland, I think Pedro Goncalves is the best player in the game. He scored a great goal and he’s such that he doesn’t show up half the game but makes the difference in two or three moments.
“Pedro Porro was Sporting’s biggest threat but he left so that’s a threat that’s been neutralized for Arsenal.
“I think Nuno Santos, playing at left-back, is a threat. If you give him space, if you give him the left wing to get in front, he can be a big threat, he crosses very well, he has a good shot and physically he can hold a man the full ninety minutes.
“Let’s see how Pedro Goncalves plays. If he plays in central midfield I think that’s better for Arsenal because he doesn’t defend that well; So I think Sporting should play Goncalves on the left and Edwards on the right.
“Then there is Paulinho (forward) or [Youssef] Chermiti, you may not have heard of him but he’s made a sensational difference in the last couple of games. He’s only 18 but very tall, very physically strong and a great striker in the box to score a few goals.”
That’s the strength, but what are the weaknesses in the form Sporting are playing in?
“I think the main problem for Sporting was the right wing when Porro wasn’t playing. As I said, if Esgaio plays instead of Bellerin, that will be a problem.
“The backs of Sporting midfielders are a problem as we only play with two central midfielders. Ugarte, who defends very well but doesn’t stand a chance against three midfielders.
“And generally the other midfielder who was Goncalves or [Hidemasa] Morita is too high up the field to help him defend. So there was a problem between midfield and the back line and I can see Martin Odegaard taking the ball in that space and creating chances.
“Sport plays with three central defenders. Two of them are very fast, Jeremiah St. Juste and Goncalo Inacio, they have great pace so they have some control even if the wingers don’t react that well but back midfield is a problem.”
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