Europa League 2018/19: 3 reasons why Arsenal won against Sporting Lisbon
Danny Welbeck's goal in the 77th minute gave Arsenal their 11th consecutive win and a place at the top of the table in their Europa League group. Neither side were assertive enough in the first half with Nani getting the best chance of the game when his strike flew just above the goal post.
Welbeck had a disallowed goal in the 66th minute as the referee caught him pushing off Sporting defender Bruno Gaspar. 10 minutes later though Welbeck scored the fifth goal of his excellent season.
Arsenal lead the Group E standings with three wins in three matches and they are almost certain to top the group and face a relatively easier opponent in the second round.
One worry for Unai Emery though would be the first half displays of his team in this season. Gunners are pretty slow off the block and they come to their own only if they are lagging behind in Goals or not scoring in the first half.
The motivation to play well from the start itself is somewhat lacking and it may hit them hard against the stronger teams. But there were factors which would give confidence to Unai as his team showed the flexibility in formation and personnel.
We look at three reasons why Arsenal were able to win against Sporting and extend their winning run to 11 matches.
#1. Bench Strength
Participating in the second tier European competition can be taxing for any side as it stretches the squad requirement. Thankfully, Unai Emery has a talented bunch of backups who step in nicely when given a chance in the Europa league.
Elneny, Guendouzi, and Lichtsteiner, though not being super effective in the game were efficient enough to not make Unai miss his more talented players. Europa League is a chance for Unai to test his bench strength and the players are responding well with the Gunners winning all of their 3 matches till now.