Arsenal have the chance to book their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night as they take on Sporting CP.
A thrilling first-leg tie in Portugal last week saw Arsenal held to a 2-2 draw against Sporting, with the Gunners relying on an own goal to head back to north London with the tie in the balance. But, Mikel Arteta's side has only lost twice at home in all competitions this season, a factor which could come into play.
Spirits remain high amongst the Arsenal camp as they head into the clash following a 3-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League, leaving the Gunners top of the Premier League table. And, Gabriel Jesus made his long-awaited return to the Arsenal squad after a lengthy lay-off through injury, a major boost for Arteta ahead of the Sporting clash.
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So, could Arsenal book their spot in the quarter-finals? We simulated the game to find out.
We simulated Arsenal vs Sporting CP to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Nelson.
We predict that the visitors could line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Adan; Diomande, Coates, Inacio; Esgaio, Goncalves, Ugarte, Santos; Trincao, Edwards; Paulinho.
Arsenal got off to the worst start possible at the Emirates, with the visitors taking the lead after just seven minutes when Sebastian Coates' sent a corner into the bottom corner of the net with a header from a couple of yards out. The Gunners now needed to come from behind if they wanted to advance in the competition, and they found an equaliser just before the break through Martin Odegaard.
As the midfielder picked up possession just outside the box, Odegaard surged forward with the ball, playing a one-two with Jesus as he approached the byline. Rather than crossing, the Norwegian drilled a fantastic effort across goal, with the spin on the ball curling his shot into the far corner to draw level.
In the second half, Arsenal took control, with Sporting struggling to contain the Gunners attack as Jesus and Bukayo Saka came close. Gabriel Martinelli was introduced off the bench in the 67th minute, and the Brazilian played a big role in Arsenal taking the lead moments later.
On the left, Martinelli duped his marker before breaking into the box, and after pulling in multiple defenders, the forward laid the ball off to Odegaard. The Norwegian played a first-time pass into the path of Jesus, and the Brazilian opened up his body before powering his strike past the 'keeper at the near post to make it 2-1.
A third would all but secure the victory for the Gunners, and it almost came in the 75th minute from an unlikely source when Takehiro Tomiyasu rattled the post with a long-range effort. The nerves started to kick in as the game approached the closing stages, but an error from the visitors allowed Arteta's side to grab a third and confirm their spot in the next round.
The Sporting 'keeper played a short pass to Coates on the edge of his own box, but Leandro Trossard read the situation, nicking in front of the defender to win possession in a dangerous area. The ball bounced into the box, and the Belgian gave the 'keeper no chance as he rifled a half-volley into the net to make it 3-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Arsenal 3-1 Sporting CP (Arsenal win 5-3 on aggregate)
FIFA 23 predicts that Arsenal could advance to the Europa League quarter-finals, beating Sporting CP 3-1 in the simulation. After going a goal behind, the Gunners' attacking threat proved too much for the visitors to handle, a factor Arteta will be hoping is true on Thursday.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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