Arsenal must be wary of Sporting Lisbon's new Gyokeres

Arsenal faces a predicted challenging trip to Portugal, where they will compete against high-performing Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Arsenal must quickly recover from the shocking 1-2 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup as they return to the Champions Leaguestage. Mikel Arteta's team will visit high-performing Sporting Lisbon.

Sporting staged an impressive comeback in the Round of 16. After losing 0-3 to Bodo/Glimt in the first leg, Sporting demolished the opponent 5-0 at home to advance. Luis Suarez stood out most. The Colombian striker is having a breakout season, making Sporting fans forget Viktor Gyokeres, who moved to Arsenal at the start of the season.

Suarez has scored 33 goals in 42 appearances this season. In the Champions League alone, he has scored 5 goals, just one short of the club record set by Gyokeres. If he scores against Arsenal in the upcoming two matches, Suarez will equal or surpass the Swedish striker's achievement.

European football journalist Andy Brassell of TalkSports considers Suarez one of the major threats Arsenal must particularly guard against. Speaking on the program Trans Europe Express, Brassell stated:

“Interestingly, in the recent 4-2 win over Santa Clara, Suarez was rested entirely; he is having an extraordinary season. Suarez was a key factor in the comeback against Bodo/Glimt, especially in the 5-0 second-leg victory.”

“It's strange that before the match, when the team trailed 0-3, coach Rui Borges said: ‘If any team can turn around a 0-3 deficit, it's us.’ That statement alone shows how confident this group is.”

Further commenting on Sporting's comeback, Kevin Hatchard – a TalkSport expert – also noted: “They play with incredible intensity. From the very first minute, they believed they could turn things around.”

Brassell agreed: “Exactly. Throughout the match, there was almost no sense they would lose. Sporting played exceptionally well during regular time and extra time.”

Not only Suarez, Francisco Trincao is also seen as a name capable of making a difference in the clash with Arsenal. In fact, Arsenal is familiar with the Portuguese winger, as he faced them four times while playing for Wolves and Sporting. Trincao is experiencing a memorable season with 12 goals and 17 assists across all competitions.

“Sporting has many excellent players, that's undeniable. More importantly, they enter the match believing they are competitive,” Bassey commented on Sporting's overall strength.

“They have proven that Sporting thrives even after losing Viktor Gyokeres. The club recruits players very well, despite limited resources. What Sporting has achieved, and how Rui Borges continues to maintain upward momentum after Ruben Amorim and Gyokeres departed, is truly impressive.”

“Arsenal remains the higher-rated team, that's undeniable. But Sporting is in excellent form, while Arsenal has just experienced its first genuine wobble since the start of the season.”.