Arsenal return to Champions League action later today when they travel to Portugal to take on Sporting CP.
After a two-week international break, Arsenal got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the weekend, with Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Ethan Nwaneri getting on the scoresheet. Next up for the Gunners is a trip to Portugal in the Champions League, with opponents Sporting currently sat second in the Champions League table.
Mikel Arteta's side lost their last Champions League game, falling to a 1-0 defeat at the San Siro against Inter. Sporting won their last European clash 4-1 against Manchester City, though with Ruben Amorim having left the club for Manchester United, it will be interesting to see how much of an impact that can have when they host Arsenal later today.
So, can Arsenal end Sporting's unbeaten start in the Champions League? Let's take a look.
We simulated Sporting CP vs Arsenal to get a score predictionTo complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Israel; Debast, Diomande, Inacio; Quenda, Morita, Hijulmand, Araujo; Trincao, Catamo; Gyokeres.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Arsenal almost got off to the perfect start in Portugal when a short corner routine saw the ball played to Partey on the edge of the box, but unlike at the weekend, he couldn't find the net as his long-range effort rattled the post. The early chance handed the Gunners a big confidence boost as they dominated possession, and with 24 minutes on the clock, they took the lead.
An Arsenal counter-attack saw the Gunners charge forward down the left, with Gabriel Martinelli beating his man before finding Kai Havertz in the middle. The German flicked the ball on to the unmarked Martin Odegaard, and one-on-one, the midfielder opted for power as he blasted his shot into the net.
Just before the break, Arteta's side were handed another boost as the hosts were reduced to 10 men, with Ousmane Diomande being sent off for pulling back Havertz as he surged through on goal. A man down, Sporting found it difficult to get going in the second half, and with 30 minutes to go, Arsenal grabbed a much-needed second to take the game away from the hosts.
As we've seen so often this season, an Arsenal corner was whipped into the box by Declan Rice, and Gabriel dominated his marker to win the header, with his effort firing into the roof of the net to make it 2-0. With a strong grasp on the game, Arteta's side comfortably saw out the victory to get back on track in the Champions League.
EA FC 25 predicted final score: Sporting 0-2 Arsenal
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