Arsenal must do more! Unai Emery's battle cry as stars are urged to back up Liverpool display

Battle cry: Emery wants more from his Arsenal players
Action Images via Reuters
James Olley8 November 2018

Arsenal’s display in matching Liverpool last weekend may have felt like a new benchmark but Unai Emery wants even more against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

The Gunners may not have beaten Jurgen Klopp’s side at Emirates Stadium but there was a resolve about them in a big game which had been sadly lacking in the latter days of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Consistency of performance was another issue to blight Wenger near the end and so Emery may have been guarding against a return to old habits when speaking about Thursday’s game.

“Each match is more information for how we can improve,” he said. “Tonight is the same. It is clear against Liverpool we played a big match against a team that in the Premier League at the moment along with Manchester City is the best.

“But it isn’t enough. It was a draw and a good result but we need more. We can continue preparing and improving in things to be closer to winning games against Liverpool and other teams.”

Tonight’s game clearly does not possess the same gravitas as Liverpool’s visit but there is the notable prize of securing qualification for the last 32 on offer. A win would guarantee their progress, while a draw would be sufficient if Vorskla Poltava lose at home against Qarabag.

Emery will rotate several players again, with Petr Cech likely to be recalled in goal in addition to a return to action for Matteo Guendouzi following his sending-off in the EFL clash against Blackpool.

Recall: Cech is set to start
REUTERS

Sporting had enjoyed a period of relative calm following a summer in which fans attacked the training ground, players cancelled their contracts en masse and manager Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked.

But the mastermind of that rebuilding job, Jose Peseiro, departed last week, hours after losing 2-1 to Estoril in the Portuguese League Cup. Peseiro’s assistant Tiago Fernandes has taken temporary charge.

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