Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal F.C; Arsenal maintain unbeaten streak in Europe

Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners away in Prague this evening following goals courtesy of Noni Madueke and Victor Gyökeres .

Just over 19,000 fans packed into the Fortuna Arena to watch Slavia Prague host Arsenal for the second time in two years.

The sides met in Prague exactly a year ago, with Arsenal running out comfortable 3-0

winners. A defeat tonight would see Slavia set the joint-longest winless record in Champions League history, with 23 games.

It quickly became clear that the unwanted record was unlikely to be avoided.

Arsenal suffocated a Slavia side unbeaten in 13 domestic league games, forcing a series of unforced errors and keeping the early exchanges firmly in the home side’s half.

In the eighth minute, a speculative long ball from David Raya was poorly dealt with by two Slavia defenders, allowing Victor Gyökeres to turn and play a weighted through ball into Noni Madueke.

The winger barely broke stride before stroking the ball past teenage goalkeeper Nazar Domchak to make it 1-0.

Domchak was called into action again five minutes later, doing well to parry a point-blank header from Gyökeres following a floated cross from Zubimendi.

Arsenal’s star men in the first half were their wingers. Ebere Eze produced a series of audacious flicks and nutmegs and appeared to be floating out on the pitch, while Madueke repeatedly embarrassed his full-back with stupefying ease.

The right flank was Arsenal’s main source of joy, with Ben White’s overlapping runs creating further problems. A succession of crosses found Gyökeres and Merino, both of whom forced saves from the increasingly busy Domchak.

Slavia’s best chance came in the 35th minute when captain Tomas Holes met a long throw from a promising position. His scuffed effort sailed wide, much to Mikel Arteta’s relief.

Three minutes later, a devastating one-two between Merino and Gyökeres saw the Swedish striker bend a beautiful effort into the far corner to make it 2-0.

Slavia appeared winded, with Arsenal enjoying wave after wave of attacks.

A dangerous Madueke cross shortly before half-time found Gabriel, whose header was heroically cleared off the line. Slavia had failed to register a shot on target, and Arsenal looked to be cruising.

Manager Jindrich Trpisovsky must have delivered some stern words at half-time, because Slavia came out a different beast.

Oskar Kubiak’s strike from range forced a routine save from Raya, but the home side were playing with an intensity and confidence which was absent in the first 45 minutes.

Slavia’s newfound energy began forcing uncharacteristic mistakes from Arsenal, leading to ominous counter-attacks, although these produced little beyond corners and blocked efforts from range.

By the 70th minute, Arsenal appeared to have dispelled any hopes of a comeback.

The game had slowed, and Slavia struggled to manufacture a chance of real substance.

That changed five minutes later when an out-swinging corner from the left left Raya flapping at a ball he was nowhere near.

Gabriel cleared the ball off the line not once, but twice, while Merino was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the ensuing six-yard-box melee.

In the 82nd minute, a deep cross found Kubiak, whose header forced a far more spectacular save from Raya.

As the minutes passed, Arsenal looked increasingly vulnerable.

Slavia were knocking and knocking heavily, and a short-corner routine eventually led to a cross for striker Wiktor Nowak to head into an open goal.

The Gunners were flustered and hanging on by a thread as Slavia summoned every ounce of energy and pride to find an equaliser.

A series of headers over the bar was all they could muster in stoppage time. Slavia Prague came out with a vengeance in the second half, but they had left it far too late.

Arteta will be unhappy that his side registered fewer shots and less xG than a team they should have defeated comfortably.

Nevertheless, it is another three points for Arsenal, who sit third in the Champions League standings and look well placed for automatic qualification into the knockout rounds.

Slavia Prague have accumulated just one point from four games, and even their most optimistic fans will know qualification is now a distant prospect.