Europa League: Arsenal draw with Sporting, Fernandes leads perfect Man Utd response

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said his side must “improve massively” if they are to continue winning games after the Gunners were held by Sporting Lisbon in an entertaining Europa League last-16 first leg.

According to the BBC, France defender William Saliba put the Premier League leaders ahead with a towering header before Sporting took advantage of poor defending to score either side of half-time through Goncalo Inacio and Paulinho.

An own goal by the hosts’ Japanese midfielder Hidemasa Morita ensured Arsenal will start on level terms when the teams meet in the return leg at Emirates Stadium next Thursday.

However, Arteta was unimpressed his side had conceded two goals for the second successive game.

“It’s true that it’s something that we must improve massively if we want to keep winning games.

“When you concede two poor goals like we did away from home in Europe it’s very difficult to get a positive result.

“We gave too many simple balls away. We need to defend our box much better,” the Spaniard said.

In an absorbing game in the Portuguese capital, Arsenal’s first-half lead lasted just 12 minutes before Inacio nodded home the equaliser after hesitancy from keeper Matt Turner.

Paulinho fired Sporting ahead from close range only for Arsenal to equalise through a wicked deflection off Morita.

Both teams created numerous chances in a free-flowing encounter.

Sporting’s former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards was denied by Turner when the score was 1-1, while Paulinho wasted a great opportunity to make it 3-1.

Arsenal had a chance to take a lead back to London but Fabio Vieira’s header was kept out by Antonio Adan.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed goalscoring skipper Bruno Fernandes as the star man in his side’s Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.

Fernandes had taken the brunt of huge criticism heaped on United following Sunday’s record 7-0 Premier League humiliation at Liverpool.

But Ten Hag confirmed in the build-up the Portuguese would remain captain if Harry Maguire was not on the field – and Fernandes repaid that faith with an outstanding contribution to a much-needed win.

It included his eighth goal of the season as he headed home Luke Shaw’s 58th-minute corner.

“He was the best player on the pitch,” said Ten Hag. “He played a little deeper role and he was brilliant, making the game from the back position, with a lot of good passes in between the lines. From there we created a lot of chances.”

Ten Hag accepted Fernandes was not perfect. A late tackle on Betis’ former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo brought the midfielder a yellow card and did not look good.

But the United boss admitted it is a fine line Fernandes has to tread.

As reported by the BBC, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Wout Weghorst were also on the scoresheet as United put themselves in a strong position to reach the last eight when the tie is concluded in Seville next week.

But Ten Hag knows one win alone will not banish the memory of Sunday’s annihilation at Anfield, especially as he had been irritated by some of his side’s performances preceding it, including the Carabao Cup final victory against Newcastle.