Welbeck made the difference

After a largely forgettable opening half, Arsenal gradually improved after the interval and took control of Group E with a 1-0 victory against Sporting.

Welbeck had already seen a header chalked off for a foul but he was on hand to steer home in the 77th minute to settle the contest in favour of Unai Emery's side

The win means a draw in the return fixture at the Emirates Stadium in a fortnight could be enough to seal Arsenal's progression into the last-32 with two games remaining.

Unai Emery: “The balance for the two teams, I think there are a lot of chances to score. And in the second half, I think, step-by-step, we imposed our jobs and we imposed our good play in the second half. For us it's very important, because we want to finish first in this group and at the moment, the other team who is with us is Sporting Clube de Portugal and we are happy."