SlipsTips shares a selection ahead of Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final second leg tie with Sporting on Wednesday night.
Arsenal vs Sporting (Wednesday, 20:00)
Arsenal will be hoping the Champions League can continue to offer them some respite when they take on Sporting at the Emirates in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s men have been near-perfect on the continental stage this season, but they’ve hit a rough patch domestically in recent weeks.
After securing a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Sporting in last week’s first leg, Arsenal were brought back down to earth with a bump, losing 2-1 at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday to blow the title race wide open.
I’ve already penned a separate match preview on this Emirates encounter, but I’ve since identified another player-based selection that holds plenty of appeal.
Morten Hjulmand has been chalked up at a very tempting 13/10 on Paddy Power to commit two or more fouls during this week's second leg.
The Sporting captain was a notable absentee during last week’s first leg due to suspension, with his combative streak evident throughout the campaign.
In fact, Hjulmand has already racked up a whopping 15 yellow cards across 15 appearances in all competitions this season.
Given those numbers, it’s no surprise Hjulmand has been committing fouls on a consistent basis, with his fouls per 90 average in the Champions League this term sitting at 2.31.
On closer inspection, the Danish international has committed multiple fouls in four of his nine outings on the continental stage this season, including his last appearance against Bodo/Glimt in the previous round.
Up against an Arsenal side stacked with top-class attacking talent, Hjulmand should have no shortage of defensive work to get through in the English capital on Wednesday night.
What’s more, the 26-year-old could find himself tasked with shackling Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze, who is notorious for being a foul magnet.
In fact, the Arsenal ace has drawn an average of 1.69 fouls per game across both the Premier League and Champions League this season, further strengthening the case for Hjulmand to overstep the mark at least twice.
Recommended Bet
- Morten Hjulmand To Commit 2+ Fouls – 13/10 (Paddy Power)
Grant Heaney, aka SlipsTips, is a Freelance Football and Darts Writer with over six years experience. Grant has written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. He is a Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. You can find all of his tips on X @SlipsTips
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