Arsenal boss Unai Emery wants 'balance' from free-scoring Gunners

By Joe Shread

Unai Emery says Arsenal will have nothing but a win on their minds when they play Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday

Unai Emery has encouraged his Arsenal team to keep up their free-scoring form, but insists he wants to see 'balance' from the Gunners.

Arsenal are on a 10-game winning streak in all competitions, and only reigning champions Manchester City have scored more goals than them in the Premier League.

Emery's side have received praise for several team goals they have scored as a result of sweeping team moves this season - with Mesut Ozil describing it as "sexy football".

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But Emery said: "We want the balance - the balance to score a lot and also not to concede a lot of goals.

"For me, the individual goal-scoring statistics for the players is very important, as it is for the supporters to be excited with many things on the pitch.

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"Scoring goals is important for this spectacle. For me, with this balance we want to score a lot and with different players.

Image: Arsenal have scored more than every other team in the Premier League this season, except Manchester City

"I want our strikers to have a lot of chances to score but also to find the balance defensively."

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Arsenal travel to Portugal to play Sporting Lisbon on Thursday in the Europa League, with both teams on six points after their first two matches in Group E.

Emery knows a win at the Estadio Jose Alvalade will put Arsenal within touching distance of a place in the knockout round, and he said: "For us this competition is very, very important."

Image: Nani, the former Manchester United winger, captains Sporting

"The opposition tomorrow is a very good team with a very good experience in this competition and with good players.

"In this moment we are two teams both in the first position and our mind is to arrive first in this group and to continue in our way thinking how we can improve.

"Tomorrow is a very, very big match - it is important for our confidence. We want to win against Sporting."

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