Really not sure about the mid set for either game against Sporting Lisbon. I don't think Arsenal played either game as they would against a Premier League side, even one at the bottom of the table.
Two issues for me, stood out as poor. The first being, as above, that Arsenal did not take Sporting Lisbon seriously enough in the first leg, a mistake and then still thought they could win at home comfortably, another mistake.
The second being that there was a lot of discussion about whether it was better to exit the Europa League now concentrate on the Premier League. In fact this has been discussed
the entire season by many fans which has irritated the crap out of me - who wants to play a midweek game in
norway? As soon as the game was over, the commentators even said...well now they can concentrate on the Premier League. Personally I can't stand that attitude and think winning breeds winning. I argued with a friend of mine, who did not mind Arsenal going out, if Arsenal were currently third in the title race they would fight tooth and nail to win this game. He agreed but yet argued, but... Arsenal
are leading the table...
Well, they are now out so we'll all see. Perhaps they will be more determined to win the title but i do not think things work like that. If say we come second in the Premier League and Manchester United win the Europa League, get a top four Premier League finish, people will regard Manchester United as having the better season and that for me will leave a very bad taste.
But, if
we came second in the Premier League but won the Europa League, that would have felt magnificent. The Europa League was an insurance policy for the season which I think we have squandered.