By Ian KingSporting are not an opponent that Arsenal can afford to take lightlyDefeat at Southampton in the FA Cup at the weekend was probably the worst preparation that Arsenal could have had for their Champions League trip to play Sporting. But while the domestic trophies were the less important aspect of their much talked about – and now extinct – quadruple and treble chances, the two pieces of silverware they really want are still up for grabs. But while Sporting aren’t the most difficult opponents that they could be facing this week, it would be a fool’s errand to take them lightly. They’ve only lost once in the Primeira Liga all season, and that defeat came at the end of August, while their Champions League run has already seen them beat holders PSG in the group stage, while they came from 3-0 down to beat Bodø/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate in the last sixteen. Sporting had the upper hand by the slimmest of margins, the last time these two metIt is a curious quirk of tournament football that, even though Arsenal have never lost in open play to Sporting, the last time the two sides met in the Champions League they were eliminated by them. In 2022/23, they met in the last 16 of this competition and, after a 2-2 draw in Lisbon and a 1-1 draw in London, Sporting won the resulting penalty shootout 5-3 to progress. The two sides have only met twice, otherwise. Drawn together in the group stage of the 2018/19 Champions League, Arsenal won 1-0 in Lisbon, while the two teams played a goalless draw in London. And there was another goalless in their first ever competitive meeting, in the 1969/70 Fairs Cup, with Arsenal winning the return match 3-0. Viktor Gyökeres has hit a good run of form at a vital time for Mikel ArtetaWith 17 goals in all competitions now this season, including their equaliser at the weekend, the decision to sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting last summer is starting to bear fruit. Gyökeres’ 68 goals in 66 league appearances for them were the reason they paid so much money for him in the first place. He also scored four in two games over the international break for Sweden – including the winning goal in the 3-2 win against Poland which sent his country to the World Cup finals – so he could be the form player that Mikel Arteta needs at a time when his team is starting to fray at the edges, a little. The obvious danger man for Sporting is Luis Suárez (no, not that one), the Colombian striker who’s scored 33 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for them this season, including 24 in 25 appearances in the Primeira Liga. Only two other Sporting players have reached double-figures in front of goal all season. Keep Suárez quiet, and you’ve gone a long way towards keeping Sporting quiet.Gabriel doubts have added to Arsenal’s injury woesThere was more bad news on the injury front for Arteta at the weekend, when Gabriel Maghalães limped from the pitch. He’s now a major doubt for this match. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber all missed Saturday’s match and may return. Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapié and Mikel Merino are all confirmed absentees. Sporting have injury problems of their own. Fotis Ioannidis, Geovany Quenda and Nuno Santos are all injured, and Luis Guilherme and Ivan Fresneda are also doubtful. They’ll also be missing captain Morten Hjulmand, who’s suspended for this leg. A trip to Sporting is no walk in the park, but Arsenal need to repeatedly show their strength of character nowGiven recent results, perhaps the most important thing for Arsenal to bear in mind ahead of this fixture is that it’s only the first leg. Even if something goes wrong at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, there’s plenty of time to put things right in the return leg in North London. But this is a test of character. No-one has ever suggested that winning silverware is easy, and Arsenal are going to face test after test over the next few weeks, and their reactions to results such as that which they suffered at St. Mary’s on Saturday are what really matter, at this point of the season. An away match against Sporting is no walk in the park. This is, after all, a team which has only failed to score in two matches in all competitions this season – their Champions League first leg match in Norway and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, which they lost 1-0 to Benfica at the end of July – and who’ve already beaten the holders of the competition in the group stages. In a bear-pit of a stadium, that breezy talk of them having an easy draw may not feel quite as comfortable if Sporting start on the front foot against them. I’m going to go for a 2-1 Sporting win in this first leg, and for the second leg to be another of those tight evenings in which it feels as though everything is balanced on a knife-edge. (Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every game in the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.