Arsenal host Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, after a good result against Liverpool kept their unbeaten run going over the weekend.

After keeping their drive for the Premier League top four going on Saturday, Arsenal return to the Europa League, where they have the chance to secure top spot in the group against Sporting Lisbon. A win against their Portuguese opponents would guarantee Arsenal finishing first, as long as Vorskla drop points to Qarabag.

Even if Vorskla win, the odds of them overtaking the Gunners would be very small. The Ukrainian side would have to beat Arsenal by two goals, then beat Sporting Lisbon in Portugal while the Gunners lost to Qarabag at home.

As a result, you’d expect Unai Emery to take this game very seriously. Being able to rest players during the trip to FC Vorskla later this month could be vital, as Arsenal play Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, just three days later. However, the Gunners do have a match against Wolves this weekend to think about.

Let’s have a look at our predicted lineup for the Sporting clash.

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Arsenal v Brentford - Carabao Cup Third Round
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 26: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal celebrates after he scores his sides second goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium on September 26, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Danny Welbeck was the match-winner in Lisbon, and he has five goals and one assist for Arsenal this season despite only starting six matches. He’s the clear choice up front on this occasion, to give Alexandre Lacazette a rest.

On the right, Henrikh Mkhitaryan isn’t in top form at the moment. However, after his early substitution at the weekend and with another game coming up on Sunday, we expect Unai Emery to use him to allow other players to have a rest.

Alex Iwobi will also return to the team. His assist against Liverpool means he’s still contributed to all of Arsenal’s goals against the big six this season. Like Mkhitaryan, he didn’t play 90 minutes on Saturday, so he should be fresh for this one.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was ineffective starting on the left in Lisbon, so Iwobi appears to be the better option to balance the team. The Gabonese striker still looks best in the middle or coming off the bench as an impact substitute.

Click ‘Next’ for our full predicted starting XI