SETTABLOID

David Raya has revealed his plan to stop Viktor Gyokeres ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Sporting. The Portuguese outfit will host the Gunners at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday night as they both look to climb the Champions League table.

Gyokeres, who sees his contract expire in June 2028, has featured 11 times in the Primeira Liga this season, scoring 16 goals. Playing an important role in Ruben Amorim’s former side, the 26-year-old striker has fired Sporting to the top of the table.

He’s enjoyed a brilliant vein of form in the Champions League too, netting a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month to maintain Portuguese club’s unbeaten run. Unsurprisingly, Gyokeres has become one of the most coveted strikers in Europe – and Arsenal are well aware of his ability.

The Gunners goalkeeper was very complimentary of Gyokeres, meanwhile, Mikel Arteta remained coy. The Spaniard said: “I would like to talk about the team, about the coaches and how phenomenal they have been. The run they are in is incredible.

The Gunners returned to winning ways last weekend with a 3-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.

The focus will now shift to the league phase of the Champions League where Arsenal are two points adrift of the automatic last 16 places.

The London giants face a tricky challenge against an in-form Sporting CP outfit, but manager Mikel Arteta will want nothing less than a victory.

David Raya has been an undisputed starter in the Premier League and Champions League games. He has been brilliant with spectacular saves and recently kept his first clean sheet since mid-October. The Spaniard is guaranteed to start between the sticks.

In front of him, it should be the same backline from the Forest win. Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori will start in the right and left-back positions with William Saliba accompanying Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence as usual.

Jorginho had an eventful opening half on Saturday. The Italian impressed with his distribution, but was substituted at the break due to a booking. He could drop to the bench tonight alongside Mikel Merino.

Merino caught the eye with his late surging runs into the box. The duo are likely to be replaced with Thomas Partey and Declan Rice respectively. Rice was an unused substitute last weekend. He has been nursing a broken toe in recent weeks.

Arsenal are back in Champions League action on Tuesday night as they travel to Portugal to take on Sporting CP.

The Gunners currently sit in 12th place in the group stage table, having won two, drawn one and lost one of their opening four games of the competition. Sporting, meanwhile, are in second place behind Liverpool, having won three and drawn one of their four matches.

That match saw Viktor Gyokeres grab a hat trick and add to his impressive goalscoring record this season. Arsenal will now come up against the on-fire forward this week.

Gyokeres is a name that will be familiar to Arsenal fans, given the transfer links to the striker. The Gunners will be able take a closer look at the player during the Champions League clash.

Gyokeres is a name that has been linked with Arsenal since the summer. And it seems that interest could be reignited in the January transfer window.

Mikel Arteta is expected to want to move for a forward when the window opens in just a matter of weeks. Gyokeres, along with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak are said to be two options for the Gunners.

Arsenal are back in Champions League action this week and looking to push into the top eight places in the new league phase of the competition. It is a big game in Portugal against a strong Sporting CP side who have picked up ten points fm their four matches so far.

The Portuguese team sit firmly in the top eight, only behind Liverpool in the table at the halfway stage and will offer up a stern test for Mikel Arteta ‘s side.

Arsenal on the other hand are just outside the top eight and will need a few good results in the second half of the league phase in order to finish in the top eight and qualify directly for the last 16.

If I were Mikel Arteta I’d be looking to build on the momentum of Saturday’s impressive victory over Nottingham Forest. He did make plenty of changes on Sunday though, and I think you can afford switch it up again here.

After a wild and disappointing draw away to Celta Vigo at the weekend it is time for Barcelona to return to continental action as the Catalans play a huge Champions League game against one of the competition’s biggest surprises in Stade Brestois, better known as Brest, at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Both teams currently sit in the much-coveted Top 8 spots in the League Phase standings with four games remaining, and a victory for Barça against a direct competitor would leave the Catalans in a great position to get an automatic spot in the Round of 16. But it won’t be easy against a tough and well-organized Brest side that is unbeaten in the competition, has already held Bayer.

Defense

After a loss to Real Sociedad and a bad performance against Celta, Flick will no doubt be looking for a strong showing and a big win from his team and will thus choose his best possible team for this one.

The back four of Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez and Alejandro Balde should be reunited for this one after Balde was left out as a precaution against Celta due to a slight hamstring issue, but if the young left-back is still not good to go then Héctor Fort would be the favorite to start on the left given his strong performance in place of Gerard Martín at the weekend.

Midfield

Barça’s biggest issue against Celta on Saturday was their inability to hold on to the ball, as their constant turnovers led to several counter-attacks that ultimately caused their downfall in Vigo. The easiest way to solve that issue is to insert captain Frenkie de Jong back into the lineup, and we think Flick will make that choice in this one.

Marc Casadó was sent off at the weekend, which pretty much guarantees he will start this one since Gavi probably isn’t ready to start two games in such a short span and will likely take Casadó’s spot in the lineup in the next game. Pedri will likely be the final piece in the midfield trio, looking to rebound from a poor performance by his standards against Celta.

Attack

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both found the net at the weekend and the Brazilian was the standout performer against Celta, and he’ll need to be at his best once again as Lamine Yamal has been ruled out of Tuesday’s clash due to his ankle injury and will miss a third consecutive game.

Possible XI: Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde; Casadó, De Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Olmo (4-3-3)

Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Bukayo Saka ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Sporting CP. The Portuguese outfit will lock horns with the Gunners at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday night as both sides hope to climb the Champions League table.

Arsenal enjoyed 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend, meanwhile, Sporting stormed past Amarante to book themselves a place in the Taça de Portugal fifth round. Speaking to reporters after Saturday’s game, Arteta was quizzed on Saka’s fitness.

The 23-year-old winger pulled out of the England squad during the international break due to injury. Responding to those who doubted whether Saka was carrying a knock, the Arsenal boss said: “Well we can send an MRI scan, it’s very simple.

The challenge facing Arsenal in the Premier League title race cannot be understated. The Gunners trail Liverpool by nine points in the table after Arne Slot’s side came from behind to beat Southampton on Sunday.

After dominating for much of the first half, it was a surprise to see Liverpool level at the break at St Mary’s. Dominik Szoboszlai had opened the scoring after capitalising on a mistake at the back to curl home, but the hosts equalised as Adam Armstrong first missed a penalty before converting the rebound.

And it was far from easy going in the second half for the visitors, as they fell behind thanks to a Mateus Fernandez goal after an incisive counterattack. But it was not to last for the Saints, with Mohamed Salah the beneficiary after another mistake at the back, this time from goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Liverpool now have an eight-point led at the top after Manchester City lost their fifth game in a row in all competitions, this one the largest home defeat of Pep Guardiola’s career as his side fell to a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal’s north London rivals Spurs. And the Gunners are a point further back, underscoring just how far a lead Slot’s side have built up.