Sporting ready to protect a 20-game unbeaten home record as Arsenal look for UCL boost

[p]Whilst the quadruple was always likely to be a pipe dream in any event, the manner in which they lost the Carabao Cup final to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a] recently also raises questions as to Mikel Arteta's strategy in the big games.[/p][h2]Gyokeres could make history[/h2][p]With the English top-flight title now within touching distance for the first time in 22 years, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a]' European assignments surely take precedence.[/p][p]That they play a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sporting-cp/tljXuHBC/"]Sporting[/a] side who have never beaten them in normal time in seven previous matches (D4 L3) should fill the Arsenal squad with the confidence that they were lacking against the Cityzens and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Saints[/a].[/p][embed guid="b4fb7958-fe59-4784-ab18-5c012fb7bb85" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2040716190968918277" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gyokeres-viktor/zaBZ1xIk/"]Viktor Gyokeres[/a], for example, might well find the scoresheet against a side he served so well during his time in Portugal.[/p][p]Though the Swede has been found wanting in many areas of his game, he's still topped the charts for goals scored (17 in all competitions), and he could become the first player to score both for and against Sporting.[/p][h2]20 matches unbeaten at home[/h2][p]Arsenal have scored in all 10 of their UCL fixtures so far in 2025/26; however, in five Champions League games at home this season, Sporting have won them all, scoring 16 and conceding just three goals in the process.[/p][p]Five of those came in the last game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bodo-glimt/S0WZMUNG/"]Bodo/Glimt[/a], in a tie in which Sporting were trailing 3-0 from the first leg.[/p][image alt="Sporting's current form" id="b253c0b3-1c5a-4426-958d-8e73db274eb2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="fc4921fa-a8d0-4ee9-ab39-fa1c4c8e26c8" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]In fact, Os Leoes are on an incredible 20-match unbeaten run at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in all competitions, so the North Londoners might not get things all their own way.[/p][p]If Sporting are able to carve out a healthy first-leg lead, it could make the return at the Emirates Stadium just over a week later very tricky indeed for Arteta and Co.[/p][h2]Injuries to affect the Gunners?[/h2][p]Their task will be difficult enough already, thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinelli/dITe5M88/"]Gabriel[/a] picking up an injury in the Southampton game, giving him only a 25% chance of playing any part on Tuesday.[/p][p]All of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trossard-leandro/xUAbnjp2/"]Leandro Trossard[/a] are rated at 75% fitness, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-eberechi/Stf4BYFn/"]Eberechi Eze[/a] at 50%, with all five facing late fitness tests to determine their availability. Definitely out for the visitors are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hincapie-pedro/2TTElOLP/"]Piero Hincapie[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/merino-mikel/QFt86bm1/"]Mikel Merino[/a].[/p][embed guid="5b9710e0-1817-49a7-bf9e-a86748a5b43e" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2040527132212744381" social-type="twitter" /][p]Given that it's Sporting's first time at this stage of the competition since the rebrand in the early 1990s, that lack of experience might well come back to haunt them, no matter how hard Rui Borges and his backroom team diligently prepare for the two matches.[/p][p]That's without taking into account that Arsenal have the lowest per-game average for goals conceded (0.5) in this season's competition, due in no small part to the excellent form of their centre-back pairing and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raya-david/nkVV0IXb/"]David Raya[/a]'s goalkeeping.[/p][h2]No European knockout wins for Arsenal in Portugal[/h2][p]Having been knocked out of five of their previous eight UCL quarter-finals, and never having beaten Portuguese opposition away in the knockout round of European competition (L2, D4), however, the Gunners have a hoodoo of sorts to break if they want to make it to the semi-finals in consecutive seasons for the first time (where they would face either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atletico Madrid[/a]).[/p][p]Gyokeres will know all about the creativity of former teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trincao/vmYemyQS/"]Trincao[/a], who will have to be kept under lock and key if the visitors are to head back to North London with an advantage.[/p][image alt="Sporting v Arsenal - Recent head-to-head results" id="2d78bf34-42f8-44f8-a151-357ae8a7d574" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="70a84266-9d1a-4144-905d-4dcd9b05c515" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Allow him to wreak havoc - he's created the most chances already in this season's UCL for his side (14) - and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-luis/fV4fAvB8/"]Luis Suarez[/a] is likely to be the main beneficiary.[/p][p]The striker has already scored five goals in his side's current European campaign, and one more will see the Colombian equal Gyokeres' club record. Suarez has also taken the most total shots (30) and had the most on target (14).[/p][h2]Goals galore expected[/h2][p]For Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli's six goals haven't been surpassed, whilst Saka's 25 total shots and 14 on target are both the best return at this point.[/p][p]With Declan Rice creating the most chances (17), one can immediately understand the importance of having the latter two players available.[/p][p]In terms of goals, Sporting have scored at least three in five of their last six matches in the competition, whilst Arsenal have bagged three in four of their last six, suggesting that this match could be an attacking spectacle for the ages.[/p][image alt="Sporting v Arsenal - Live win probability" id="e957f174-7958-4c57-b842-999a9e58f9b6" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="ece3e026-6e4e-4d8c-a037-49cf57a1f9aa" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]What might surprise many is that the hosts actually have a better conversion rate in this season's UCL than the Premier League side (22% - 20%), have played more passes (5,030 - 4,480) and also have a better pass completion rate than the Gunners (87% - 85%).[/p][p]Both sides have scored their most goals in the competition between the hour mark and the 75th minute, which is also the only period in any UCL games this season where Arsenal haven't conceded.[/p][p]What a fascinating tie we have in prospect...[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/sporting-cp-tljXuHBC/?mid=E5xgqLv3"]Follow the match with Flashscore here.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="1e6ec0b3-25b5-44fd-8955-d6cf4d7c20f2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="cc262280-c6ef-4abc-ad14-997cd0e344ad" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]