Good morning! The Sport360 Team is in place to bring you our top stories on Friday morning.
As ever, get in touch with us throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter
TOP STORY
Danny Welbeck scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Europa League rivals Sporting Lisbon to extend their winning streak to 11 games.
After a largely forgettable opening half, the Gunners gradually improved after the interval and took control of Group E with a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
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.
FOOTBALL
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insists hat-trick hero Ruben Loftus-Cheek must sharpen up defensively to secure more Premier League football.
Blues midfielder Loftus-Cheek produced a match-winning performance during the 3-1 Europa League victory over BATE Borisov after being handed a rare Stamford Bridge start.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid received a huge boost ahead of El Clasico on Sunday when defender Marcelo trained on Thursday.
The Brazilian hurt his right ankle during Madrid’s 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
CRICKET
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 13 UAE national players who have been awarded new two-year central contracts.
Skipper Rohan Mustafa is among the cricketers to have been handed a deal while Ashfaq Ahmed and Amir Hayat, who made their debuts in December have also been rewarded for their consistent performances.
In other news, UAE internationals Rohan Mustafa and Chirag Suri are aiming to make a big impact over the next 11 days when they play in Nepal’s T20 Pokhara Premier League (PPL).
The pair flew out to the south Asian country on Wednesday after they both signed for Butwal Blasters, who open their campaign against Chitwan Rhinos on Saturday.
FEATURE OF THE DAY
New Zealand and Australia are set to meet this Saturday in the unfamiliar location of Yokohama in Japan. Read our talking points.
SOCIAL MEDIA ROUND-UP