Arsenal will face Sporting CP in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. This will be the fifth encounter between the two teams in European competition. The Gunners already know the Portuguese team and they want to win whatever it takes.
Arsenal players will have to face Sporting CP for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. Several players already know the opposing team such as Hector Bellerin, who is a former Arsenal player.
Arteta's men know they want to win this game and are aware of the level of the Portuguese team. Arsenal striker Gabriel Martinelli spoke at the pre-match press conference and said he will do whatever it takes to win.
"It’s up to Mikel - wherever he decides to play me, I’ll play. If the team need me I’d play as a goalkeeper! We play for Arsenal and everyone has this responsibility. I just kept working hard, I always try to do my best on and off the pitch and that’s what I did," he said.
"If you play for Arsenal you need to go into any competition to win. That’s our mentality. We're going there to win. I love [the supporters] and I hope they love me as well. I always do my best to try and make them happy," Martinelli concluded.