Arsenal have more than just pride at stake in their Europa League campaign. Having been drawn against Sporting CP for the last-16 following a remarkable 4-0 second leg victory over Midtjylland it is a tie of reunions.
Former right-back Hector Bellerin will face the side he spent more than a decade with whilst Fabio Vieira is set for an immediate trip back to the stadium he left over the summer. Given the new format of the competition it is one of the strongest pools of teams left at this stage of the competition though and there will be no room for mercy.
The Europa League may feel like a distraction for Arsenal due to their unexpected Premier League title chase. At the start of the season it was perhaps seen as more likely that winning the competition would get them into the Champions League than finishing in the top four.
