After finding his feet in the first couple of games back in August, new Arsenal boss Unai Emery has taken his team on an impressive run that has seen them win their last ten games in all competitions. They have played some fantastic football, and really shown us that they are more than capable of finishing in the top six, possibly higher, despite going through a rebuild phase. Their attention turns to the Europa League on Thursday night, with a trip to Portugal to take on Sporting Lisbon.

A solid win on Monday night against Leicester was their 10th win, and the star of the show on that occasion was Mesut Ozil. The German midfielder scored Arsenal’s first, assisted on their second and played a big part in the build up for their third. It was a masterclass from the midfielder, and one that reminded Arsenal fans just how good he can be when he is on his game.

The Europa League may not be the most important competition for Arsenal this season, but assuming they get into the knockout round, that will change. European glory, no matter what level, is something that every club wants and should Arsenal get to a stage where they think they can win the competition then I am sure they will take it very seriously. Their chances depend a lot on which teams are placed into the competition from the Champions League. Arsenal are one of the top teams in the competition right now, but that is likely to change and that will harm their chances. Having said that, if they play like we have seen them play recently, I don’t think too many clubs from around Europe would fancy taking them on over two legs.

Arsenal sit at the top of Group E right now with six points from their first two games. They are only top on goal difference though, because Sporting Lison also have a 100% record to their name. These two are by far the best two teams in this group, and it looks as though they will win all four of their other games, meaning the two games between each other will determine who wins the group. A group win would mean avoiding those who drop into the Europa League from the Champions League, something Arsenal will certainly want to do.

This looks to be the toughest task that Arsenal have faced in the competition so far, and also the hardest game they will have in the group stages. A win here would be key for them, and should they pick up three points they would fancy their chances of continuing and winning every one of their six group games.

What Does the Future Hold for Arsenal Football Club?

When Arsenal replaced Arsene Wenger with Unai Emery, it was a big change for the club. Wenger had built Arsenal into the best team in England at one point, starting small and working up before putting the finishing touches on to win multiple pieces of silverware. For the last two or three seasons we have seen Arsenal fall away, and look in need of another rebuild. Wenger was never going to stay at Arsenal to oversee something as big as that again, so they decided it was the time for him to move on, and a new man to come in and take charge.

I think the Arsenal board will have given Emery very similar instructions to what they gave Wenger back when he joined the club. He will get time to slowly build, Arsenal don’t have the huge cash available to make an instant splash and transform their team like some others do. We have seen already from the signings he has made that the players brought in haven’t arrived to make an immediate impact. The players signed are mainly projects for the future because they are either young and need to learn, they are not familiar with the English game and culture, or a combination of the two. It isn’t for another two or three seasons that we will see these players really come to life and show what they are capable of.

Emery appears to be a very likeable manager, and based on some of the results we have seen so far this season, he seems to be getting on with the job right from the off. While he is looking towards the future and he wants to rebuild this Arsenal team, they do have a number of quality players already at the club that can help him to pick up wins right now, as we have seen in recent weeks. Don’t be surprised to see those wins continue, but don’t expect too much this season and next, the whole focus at the club right now appears to be on mounting a challenge in a few years time.

It will take a huge amount of patience, some fantastic scouting and future planning for this Arsenal team to rise up and challenge for a league title once again. That is the job Unai Emery has ahead of him, but if you look at what he has done so far, Arsenal fans should feel confident about him being up to the task.

Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal Betting Tips

This is the toughest game Arsenal will face in the group stages of the Europa League, and also one of the toughest they have faced on their winning run so far. With ten wins behind them, they are clearly full of confidence right now and they will want to keep the run going. I think Unai Emery will play a fairly strong team in this game as he knows what a test it will be for them. Assuming that happens, I am more than happy to back Arsenal again here, they have played some great football and the English game is far superior to that in Portugal, the Arsenal squad looks to be much better than that of Sporting Lisbon.

While there is a bigger picture unfolding at The Emirates, right now Unai Emery is focusing on winning football games and move from one game to the next. They have put together a winning run that has seen them win ten games on the bounce, and I am backing Arsenal to make that eleven on Thursday evening in Portugal.

The away trip shouldn’t hold any fears for Arsenal, and they will go into the game knowing that a win here would almost certainly secure them progression to the next stage, and give them the advantage as far as top spot in the group goes.

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