Manchester United and Arsenal have learned who they will face in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League as they attempt to balance a bid for European glory with the quest for the Premier League title.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +61 | 89 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +45 | 84 |
| 3 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have been drawn against Sporting Lisbon, who sit fourth in the Portuguese league and have ex-Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin in their ranks.
Worryingly for Arsenal, Sporting have progressed from each of their previous six ties against English sides in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup or Europa League.
Man Utd’s reward for beating Barcelona in the last round is a first competitive meeting with Real Betis, who are fifth in LaLiga and managed by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.
The two-legged ties come just a week apart and will test the resources of both Arsenal and Man Utd, who are five points apart in the Premier League title race and will now play seven matches in the space of 23 days.
Arsenal and Man Utd fixtures
| Arsenal | Man Utd | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb | PL: Leicester (A) | 26 Feb | EFL Cup: Newcastle |
| 1 Mar | PL: Everton (H) | 1 Mar | FAC: West Ham (H) |
| 4 Mar | PL: AFC Bournemouth (H) | 5 Mar | PL: Liverpool (A) |
| 9 Mar | UEL: Sporting (A) | 9 Mar | UEL: Real Betis (H) |
| 12 Mar | PL: Fulham (A) | 11 Mar | PL: Southampton (H) |
| 16 Mar | UEL: Sporting (H) | 16 Mar | UEL: Real Betis (A) |
| 19 Mar | PL: C Palace (H) | 19 Mar | PL: Brighton (A) |
The good news for Arsenal is that their trip to Portugal is the only one of six matches outside London.
Arsenal have back-to-back home matches against Everton and AFC Bournemouth before heading to Lisbon, and they then have a derby at Fulham before hosting Sporting for the second leg. That is followed by a home match against Crystal Palace.
Man Utd’s schedule looks a little trickier.
They have a tough match at Liverpool four days before hosting Betis. And while they are at home on the weekend between their European ties, against struggling Southampton, their trip to Spain for the second leg is followed by another away match three days later, at high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion.
West Ham face Cypriot league leaders
West Ham United also have a challenging spell ahead as they look to progress in the UEFA Europa Conference League while also fighting for safety in the Premier League.
David Moyes’ side have been drawn against AEK Larnaca, the leaders of the Cypriot league, in the last 16 as they attempt to reach a European quarter-final for the second successive season.
It leaves them fighting on three fronts, like Man Utd, with the Hammers and Red Devils facing each other in next Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie.
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Sat 25 Feb | PL: Nott'm Forest (H) |
| Wed 1 Mar | FAC: Man Utd (A) |
| Sat 4 Mar | PL: Brighton (A) |
| Thur 9 Mar | UECL: AEK Larnaca (A) |
| Sun 12 Mar | PL: Aston Villa (H) |
| Thur 16 Mar | UECL: AEK Larnaca (H) |
| Sun 19 Mar | PL: Man City (A) |