Arsenal got the job done in Prague, but it was much harder than it looked at half-time. Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres scored in the first half, and Mikel Arteta’s side held on to beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The win keeps Arsenal unbeaten in this season’s competition. They now have 10 points from four games and moved up to third in the league phase table.
Two goals before the break
Arsenal started quickly. In the ninth minute Gyökeres played Madueke through on goal, and the winger finished calmly to make it 1-0.
The second goal came a few minutes before half-time. Mikel Merino played Gyökeres in, and the Swede’s shot went in off the post. At 2-0 the game looked over.
A nervous second half
Slavia came out after the break with much more energy and pushed Arsenal back. David Raya was kept busy in goal. His best moment came late on, when he pushed a header from Oskar Kubiak onto the post. Gabriel also cleared a ball off the line.
The home side finally scored in the 90th minute. Wiktor Nowak was left with an empty net at close range after a cross, and the last few minutes were tense. Arsenal held on.
Good news on Saliba
There was some good news before kick-off too. William Saliba was back in the squad for the first time this season after a back injury. He stayed on the bench, but his return will please Arteta.
The win came three days after Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield. They are top of the Premier League and now in a strong position in Europe as well. Slavia stay on one point.
Our take
The first half was very good. Gyökeres was sharp, and his link with Madueke and Merino caused Slavia problems all the time. The second half was a different story, and Arteta will not be happy with how much the team gave away.
Still, good teams win games like this when they are not at their best. Three points in Prague is a good night’s work.
Can Arsenal go all the way in the Champions League this season? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Noni Madueke by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0); Viktor Gyökeres by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0); David Raya by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mikel Merino by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
