Arsenal V Sporting CP - As it happened.
Join us for live text updates of the Europa League Group E clash between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium.
Match report in news
End of match
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95'FT: Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Lisbon. We finish goalless here! Nothing to choose from between the two sides as Arsenal fail to make use of their dominance of possession. Regardless, a draw is enough to see the hosts progress after Qarabag claimed the win against Vorskla in the other game in Group E.
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95'Almost a chance for Sporting as Dost looks to feed Bruno Fernandes, but Cech reads the pass brilliantly and sweeps up the danger.
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94'Nani attempts to waste some time by dropping to the turf, only for his side to counter. He is quickly back to his feet.
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92'Arsenal look like being frustrated here as Sporting see off a couple of crosses from deep.
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90'5 minutes added on. Can Arsenal make the most of their one-man advantage?
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89'Waste. The Gabonese looks for the far top corner but he gets underneath it as it sails harmlessly over the crossbar.
Red card
a Sporting CP
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87'RED CARD! SPORTING! MATHIEU! The defender is given his marching orders for scything down Aubameyang on the edge of the box as he looks set to bare down on goal. It's only a free-kick, but the visitors are down to ten here.
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85'Another change for Sporting as Petrovic comes on in place of young Miguel Luis.
Substitution
at Sporting CP
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83'Cabral replaces Diaby for the visitors.
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82'CLOSE! Kolasinac pulls the ball back for Aubameyang, but Coates makes a fine block to prevent his goalbound effort from reaching its desired destination.
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81'CHANCE! Iwobi manages to find enough space to fizz a low ball in from the left and Mkhitaryan just manages to get something on it to direct it goalwards, but it is lacking in power and Ribeiro makes the save away to his left.
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79'The set-piece is taken short despite having 6'5" Bas Dost in the middle and by the time the ball is put in the mixer no fewer than four Sporting players are offside. Waste.
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78'Acuña's cross from the left is deflected behind by Mkhitaryan.
Yellow card
a Sporting CP
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74'Luis is booked for tugging the shirt of Sokratis, despite then winning the ball with a perfect challenge.
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74'Ainsley Maitland-Niles comes on in place of Lichtsteiner. Eddie Nketiah won't be happy as he was set to be introduced prior to that injury.
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72'Guendouzi is booked for an uncompromising challenge on Nani on halfway after Sporting failed to kick the ball into touch following that injury to Lichtsteiner.
Injured
en Arsenal
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71'A bad night may have got worse for Arsenal as Lichtsteiner pulls up with what appears to be a hamstring problem.
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68'Potentially a change in style afoot here for Sporting as target man Bas Dost is introduced in place of Freddy Montero.
Yellow card
a Sporting CP
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67'Acuña is booked for dissent for protesting that Sporting should have been awarded a goal kick as he challenged Lichsteiner down the right.
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64'Montero kills a couple of minutes as he makes a meal of a tackle. You feel Sporting have already settled for the point here.
Substitution
at Arsenal
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60'Sead Kolasinac is on in place of Carl Jenkinson for the hosts.
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58'Iwobi feeds Aubameyang in the Sporting box, but his effort with the outside of his boot can only find the side-netting. Arsenal are getting closer.
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58'Sporting counter through Nani, but Cech gets down to gather his low cross from the left from in front of Freddy Montero. Still 0-0.
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56'Ramsey's long ball forward for Aubameyang bounces harmlessly through to Ribeiro in the visiting goal.
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54'Arsenal should have a corner as Mathieu gets a touch on Smith Rowe's cross-cum-shot from the left following a swift Arsenal counter, but the referee doesn't spot it and a goal kick is signaled.
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48'Jenkinson makes a good block to deny Diaby, though his effort looks like it would have missed the target regardless.
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47'OFF THE BAR! Almost an instant impact after the break as Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang combine, with the latter rattling the crossbar!
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46'Arsenal get us back underway here. Will we see any goals in this second half?
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45'HT: Arsenal 0-0 Sporting Lisbon. All square at the break here. A combination of Danny Welbeck and Jeremy Mathieu has gone closest as Matteo Guendouzi's low cross was diverted goalwards before being cleared off the line, but the hosts then suffered the blow of seeing Welbeck carried off on a stretcher. Arsenal have been the better side, but if results in the group stay this way a draw will be enough for them to secure progression from Group E.
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45'Bruno Fernandes' effort from long range is blocked by his own team-mate, who is flagged for offside.
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45'4 minutes added on here after that lengthy stoppage due to the injury to Danny Welbeck.
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45'The Armenian swings the ball in, but it is too long and it sails out for a goal kick.
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44'Acuña bundles Mkhitaryan over out on the right and Arsenal have another chance to get the ball in the box before the break.
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44'Guendouzi clears up inside his own box after an errant first touch.
Yellow card
a Sporting CP
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41'Gaspar joins Lichtsteiner in the book for hauling back Iwobi on halfway.
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39'A quickly-taken corner is worked out to Lichtsteiner 25 yards out. He tries his luck and catches it well, but it fades wide.
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38'Lichtsteiner whips in a delightful ball form the right, but the onrushing Smith Rowe can't quite grow enough to get his head on it.
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35'Arsenal force a couple of corners but they come to nothing. No doubting which side is in control of this one but barring Coates' goal-line clearance we haven't seen any real chances so far.
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31'Jenkinson has a chance to cross from the left after combining with Iwobi, but his delivery is poor.
Substitution
at Arsenal
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30'That's Welbeck's night over as he is stretchered off with his right leg in a brace, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on in his place.
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26'Welbeck looks to have done himself some damage in that duel and it looks like he'll have to go off. Welbeck is given oxygen on the pitch and the stretcher is called for.
Yellow card
a Arsenal
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21'Nani rolls back the years to leave Lichtsteiner for dead, cue the Swiss getting back up and diving in needlessly on the Portuguese. Yellow card.
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20'Mkhitaryan swings the ball in for Welbeck, but his header flashes well wide of the far post. As you were.
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19'Mathieu trips Lichtsteiner out on the Arsenal right to hand the hosts a free-kick.
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19'Gudelj rifles over the bar from 30 yards at the other end. A few hints this one might be ready to spring into life.
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17'OFF THE LINE! Guendouzi fizzes in a low ball towards the near post from out on the right and Mathieu inadvertently diverts it beyond Robeiro on the slide, but Coates is there to sweep up and hack the ball to safety.
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15'OVER! Iwobi feeds Smith Rowe on the edge of the Sporting box and the youngster takes a touch and jinks past a defender before firing high over the bar.
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12'ALMOST! Mkhitaryan looks to clip the ball into the path of Danny Welbeck, but Coates just manages to hack the ball over his own crossbar before it reaches the Arsenal striker.
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8'Arsenal force the first corner of the game down the left. They opt to take it quickly and Iwobi's low ball in is cleared away before Jenkinson thunders high into the stand from some 35 yards.
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7'A nice Arsenal move sees Smith Rowe set free on the right-hand side of the box, but his low cross is hacked clear by Jeremy Mathieu.
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4'Arsenal show some early signs of ring rust by surrendering possession deep in their own half, but Guendouzi does well to make an important block to see off the danger.
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2'Lichtsteiner, who is at right-back with Jenkinson playing on the opposite side, attempts a cross from deep but it is easily headed clear.
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1'The visitors get us underway here at the Emirates!
Start of match
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PRVWThe players are out on the pitch and we'll be underway imminently.
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PRVWWill Danny Welbeck prove key once again for Arsenal tonight?
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PRVWThe warm-ups have been completed and we're closing in on kick-off here.
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PRVWHere's how the two sides have fared recently coming into this one: http://thumb.besoccer.com/media/projects_img/editor_live/img_events/776dfda440ada490.png
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PRVWThe visitors make four changes from the last meeting between the two sides a fortnight ago as Ristovski, Pinto, Battaglia and Petrovic make way for Gaspar, Mathieu, Luís and Diaby.
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PRVWSPORTING LISBON: Ribeiro; Gaspar, Coates, Mathieu, Acuña; Nani, Gudelj, Miguel Luís, Bruno Fernandes; Montero, Diaby. Subs: Salin, André Pinto, Jefferson, Jovane Cabral, Petrovic, Dost, Carlos Mané.
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PRVWAs expected the hosts make a raft of changes, with the likes of Petr Cech, Carl Jenkinson, Emile Smith Rowe and Danny Welbeck all being handed starts.
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PRVWARSENAL: Cech; Jenkinson, Sokratis, Holding, Lichtsteiner; Ramsey, Guendouzi; Mkhiratyan, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Welbeck. Subs: Martínez, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Torreira, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
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PRVWThe Emirates Stadium will play host to this one tonight:
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PRVWDID YOU KNOW? Sporting have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 30 European away games.
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PRVWDID YOU KNOW? Arsenal have won their last four games in a row against Portuguese opposition, scoring 17 goals without reply in the process.
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PRVWDID YOU KNOW? Sporting have faced English sides on 22 occasions in UEFA competition (W9, D3, L10).
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PRVWDID YOU KNOW? Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Sporting on matchday three was the first meeting between the two sides in UEFA competition.
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PRVWSporting Lisbon boss Tiago Manuel Matos da Costa Fernandes?: "We know how good a team Arsenal are, especially at home. But we want to bring joy to the supporters that we're bringing to their stadium. The players have been training fantastically, with a lot of professionalism, and that makes me proud to represent the club in this competition. If we make any mistakes, Arsenal will try and punish us. We need to be organised and cohesive. The key is to play for ourselves."
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PRVWArsenal boss Unai Emery: "[Sporting] have very good players. They changed the coach but it’s a very big match for them in their thinking about getting the first position. We will go into the game with big respect for them. Tomorrow is a very good test for us. We are finding our focus. This competition is very important for us, it is a title and one way into the Champions League next year."
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PRVWThese two currently sit first and second in group E. A win tonight will send the 'Gunners' through to the knockout stages, whilst a draw will also be enough if Vorskla lose against Qarabag in the group's other game. Victory for the visitors would move them level on points with Arsenal at the top of the group. http://thumb.besoccer.com/media/projects_img/editor_live/img_events/e74d49d9b87bfe58.png
Pre-match
08 November 2018, 21:00
Referee: Gediminas Mazeika
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
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PRVWHello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight's Europa League clash between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon from the Emirates Stadium.