FULL-TIME: Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal. Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres scored in the first half in Prague, and Wiktor Nowak’s 90th-minute goal only made for a nervy finish. Updated: 21:58 UK.
Noni Madueke opened the scoring after nine minutes, set up by Gyökeres, and the Swede then got one of his own on 38 minutes from a Mikel Merino pass. Slavia Prague did not manage an attempt at goal until the 36th minute, but they were much better after the break and Nowak finished from close range at the end.
Arteta’s side came into the night knowing a win was what they needed. Tuesday’s results had pushed them down to ninth, and we explained before kick-off why Prague is where Arsenal climb back into the top eight.
They did exactly that, even if the second half was far less comfortable than the first. Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice were both booked, and Arteta made five changes as Slavia pushed.
What we learned in Prague
Gyökeres and Madueke settled it early
Both goals came from the same pair. Gyökeres slipped Madueke in for the opener, and then finished Merino’s pass himself for the second. A goal and an assist is exactly the kind of night the Swede needed.
Slavia changed the game at half-time
The home side made two changes at the break, bringing on Ange N’Guessan and Mojmír Chytil, and Oskar Kubiak tested David Raya within seconds of the restart. Arsenal spent long spells of the second half defending.
A clean sheet lost at the death
Arsenal had the game in control at 2-0 until the 90th minute, when Nowak scored from close range. It did not change the result, but Arteta will not enjoy how the last half an hour went.
Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal: key moments
Full-time: Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal
FT Full-time in Prague. Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal.
90+3′ Arsenal substitution: Max Dowman replaces Noni Madueke.
90′ GOAL, Slavia Prague. Wiktor Nowak scores from close range to make it Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal.
81′ Slavia substitution: Štěpán Chaloupek replaces David Moses.
78′ Arsenal double change: Jurriën Timber replaces Ben White and Martin Ødegaard replaces Viktor Gyökeres.
71′ Slavia substitution: David Jurásek replaces Emmanuel Ayaosi.
68′ Yellow card for Arsenal captain Declan Rice.
62′ Arsenal’s first changes: Cristhian Mosquera replaces Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis replaces Eberechi Eze.
61′ Slavia substitution: Mikuláš Konečný replaces Tomáš Vlček.
58′ Emmanuel Ayaosi drives forward and shoots from the edge of the box, but it is blocked.
53′ Yellow card for Arsenal’s Ezri Konsa.
51′ Emmanuel Ayaosi has a go from outside the box for Slavia.
49′ Oskar Kubiak tries again from outside the box, and this one is blocked.
46′ Raya’s first save of the night. Oskar Kubiak shoots from distance straight after the restart and David Raya deals with it.
46′ Slavia change things at the break: Ange N’Guessan replaces Danijel Šturm and Mojmír Chytil replaces Mubarak Suleiman. The second half is under way.
HT Half-time in Prague. Slavia Prague 0-2 Arsenal.
42′ Arsenal almost get a third. Gabriel Magalhães heads at goal from close range after a corner, but it does not go in.
38′ GOAL, Arsenal. Viktor Gyökeres doubles the lead, with Mikel Merino providing the assist. Slavia Prague 0-2 Arsenal.
36′ Slavia’s first attempt of the night. Tomáš Holeš gets to the ball in the Arsenal box, but it goes wide.
20′ Yellow card for Slavia Prague’s David Moses.
9′ GOAL, Arsenal. Noni Madueke puts the visitors ahead, set up by Viktor Gyökeres. Slavia Prague 0-1 Arsenal.
KO The game is under way in Prague, 8pm UK time.
Slavia Prague vs Arsenal confirmed lineups
Arsenal: David Raya; Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel Magalhães, Piero Hincapié; Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice (c); Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze; Viktor Gyökeres.
Arsenal substitutes: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Illan Meslier, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Ødegaard, Jurriën Timber, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Bruno Guimarães, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman.
Slavia Prague: Nazar Domchak; Tomáš Vlček, Tomáš Holeš (c), David Zima, Oskar Kubiak; David Moses, Michal Sadílek; Emmanuel Ayaosi, Mubarak Suleiman, Danijel Šturm; Wiktor Nowak.
Arsenal substitutions: Cristhian Mosquera for Ezri Konsa (62′), Christos Tzolis for Eberechi Eze (62′), Jurriën Timber for Ben White (78′), Martin Ødegaard for Viktor Gyökeres (78′), Max Dowman for Noni Madueke (90+3′).
Slavia Prague substitutions: Ange N’Guessan for Danijel Šturm (half-time), Mojmír Chytil for Mubarak Suleiman (half-time), Mikuláš Konečný for Tomáš Vlček (61′), David Jurásek for Emmanuel Ayaosi (71′), Štěpán Chaloupek for David Moses (81′).
Ezri Konsa partners Gabriel at centre-back, with Ben White and Piero Hincapié either side of them. Rice wears the armband next to Zubimendi, while Merino, Eze and Madueke play behind Gyökeres. William Saliba, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz all start on the bench.
It is a different look from the side we expected in our Arsenal predicted lineup vs Slavia Prague, but Arteta’s choices did the job.
What the win means for Arsenal in the league phase
Arsenal started the night ninth in the Champions League table, with seven points from three games. Ninth is the first place outside the automatic spots for the last 16, which is why this game mattered so much.
This win takes them to 10 points from four games, which puts them back in the top eight whatever happens in the rest of Wednesday’s games. Only Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, both on 12 points, are clear of them at the moment.
Slavia stay on one point after four games. Arsenal’s next Champions League game is at home to Borussia Dortmund on 24 November, and we will have full build-up to that one.
