“About to have a meal” – Arsenal fans claim 22-year-old Gunners star will enjoy Europa League round of 16 tie more than anyone else 

Arsenal fans on Fabio Vieira following Europa League draw
Arsenal fans on Fabio Vieira following Europa League draw.

Arsenal have been drawn against Sporting CP in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League and the Gunners' fans believe it is perfect for Fabio Vieira.

Mikel Arteta's side reached the Round of 16 stages of the competition after topping their group above PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt and FC Zurich.

Sporting CP, meanwhile, crashed out of the UEFA Champions League, finishing third in their group. They beat Midtjylland 5-1 on aggregate in the playoffs to reach the knockout stage.

They will now face Premier League leaders Arsenal, who have Vieira in their ranks. The midfielder came through Sporting's rivals Porto FC's youth setup before joining the Gunners last summer for an initial fee of €35 million.

Vieira, 22, made 76 senior appearances for Porto, scoring 10 goals and providing 18 assists. He helped them win two league titles, among other honors.

After the draw was announced, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to stress that the tie was the perfect opportunity for the Portuguese midfielder to shine. One fan was confident in their chances of progressing to the next round, as they tweeted:

"Cakewalk, Fabio Vieira is about to have a meal."

Here are some other reactions from Gunners fans:

While Vieira has started just one Premier League game this season, he has started all six Europa League games. He has scored one goal and provided one assist in the competition.

Sporting CP will host the first leg of the tie on March 9 while the second leg will be played at the Emirates on March 16.


Mikel Arteta on what can Arsenal expect from Leicester City

The north London side will next face Leicester City away in the Premier League on Saturday, February 25.

Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta hailed Leicester's consistency in recent weeks, saying (via Arsenal.com):

"They've been really consistent the past few weeks in the games they've played. It's true that Brendan has proposed very different games in many different moments throughout the seasons and they have this capacity to adapt, play different formations and play in different approaches."

He added:

"We have prepared for both because it's possible and let's see what they do tomorrow."

The Gunners currently sit atop the Premier League table while Leicester are 14th in the table.

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Edited by Viraj Vaz
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