After a hard-fought 2-1 win over Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic, Arsenal are now 19 games unbeaten in the Champions League, excluding penalties.
First-half goals from Noni Madueke and Victor Gyokeres did the damage, although the Gunners had to call on David Ryan’s world-class reflexes to secure victory.
Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions were unable to put the game beyond all reasonable doubt and almost paid for their complacency as Slavia staged an unfortunate late ambush.
There were still plenty of positives for Arsenal as the Gunners prepare for their final Premier League game before the international break against Hull City.
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Arteta relies on two reliable lieutenants
When asked exactly why Arsenal lost control, Arteta was reluctant to elaborate in his post-match press conference. He said, “I have already mentioned a few things, and I will keep some to myself.”
football.london also asked Arteta what he thought of David Ryan’s performance. Praising Ryan, he probed further into his side’s display, saying: “He had to show his quality again. It was more than we expected. So that’s great. But yeah, he was very worried about what happened before, which is obviously not something we’ve shown in the past.”
Arsenal seemed to lose control in midfield after the break and it was something that irked Arteta despite the final result. As it will be. Immediately after the game, he pledged to his two trusted lieutenants on the field as he began to share his thoughts on second-half pressure.
The passionate Spaniard, already likened to his coach for being a leader and student of the game, came alive more in conversation with Mikel Merino. Jurrien Timber was also making comments to Merino Arteta while participating in the dialogue, although he didn’t say much.
Slavia had just 44 percent possession, but had just 18 shots (6 on target) to Arsenal’s 12. In doing so, they missed three big chances. Slavia’s xG was 2.23, while Arsenal’s was 1.49. These figures suggest that the Gunners were somewhat lucky to hold on for victory.
Gyokeres big night
It may not be a night to remember for long for Arsenal, but it could be a turning point in Gyokers’ season. In fact, he has eight goals (five goals, three assists) in his last 10 starts for the Gunners in all competitions.
Apparently, Gokeres also likes the Champions League. He has been involved in 16 goals (12 goals, 4 assists) in the Champions League, and only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (48 goals, 24 assists) has scored more goals than any other Swedish player.
But it wasn’t just scoring goals. As Arteta said in his press conference, Gyökeres had a class to his link-up and hold-up game. A pattern is clearly forming, with Declan Rice pulling off a fine finish to equalize at Bayern Munich before putting in a selfless attacking performance against Everton.
“He did it very well,” Arteta said. “He knew very well when to come on, when to threaten. Because they’re going to split, we have four players tomorrow. In midfield, there’s a lot of space there. So when you say he’s really committed to the team, well, the main thing is that you’ve already mentioned it. I’m very happy because overall I think he’s had a great performance apart from the goals and assists.”
The 28-year-old also scored brilliantly. He gave Merino a quick shake and left before moving the pole and curling up. It was a sumptuous finish and a strike that will give Gyokeres huge confidence going forward.
Kai Havertz hasn’t been performing well for a while. This could give Gyokeres the initiative to usurp his close friend for a more prominent starting spot. He needs a string of games and with Havertz expected to be rested and given the German’s win at Anfield, he looks unlikely to start against Hull.
Cantilever stairs
In the opening seven minutes, Ezri Konsa won the goal kick after an impressive intervention on the far touchline. While doing so, he felt something in his left knee.
Konsa was clearly in pain, but the pain soon subsided and she continued as normal. There didn’t seem to be any real excitement or signs that it was coming out.
But as always, as with knocks, there is a possibility of swelling or bruising further down the line. It was a little surprising that he continued in the second half before finally being subbed for Cristhian Mosquera on 62 minutes. William Saliba did not play, but returned to the bench.
football.london later asked Arteta for an update on Konsa, who said: “Obviously he’s playing a lot. He’s played a lot in the last few weeks and had some problems and we decided to take him off.”
It will not be a big surprise if the 29-year-old player is rested against Hull City. As Arteta said, he has played a lot of football recently and he will be first choice for England, especially against Spain as the Nations League draws to a close.
Dropping Mosquera or Saliba against the Tigers wouldn’t be a bad move from Arteta, although Konsa could prove perfectly fine.
Madueke is in line for an England recall There are growing expectations that Madueke will be included in Thomas Tuchel’s final England squad on Friday for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.
His club-mate Bukayo Saka is currently sidelined with a quad injury and Madueke is said to be a natural replacement after his impressive form and participation at the World Cup this summer.
The 24-year-old, who missed out on England last month, did no harm to his hopes of ratifying his call-up by scoring in Prague.
Madueke’s confidence has grown in recent weeks and he has been playing freely since starting on the left-back against Leeds – the first game since the break.
Now he is starting to look like a key player for the Gunners and it is clear that he is confident with the recent support he has received from Arteta.
Just a few weeks ago, there was speculation that a number of top European clubs were sniffing around Madueke due to his lack of minutes. He now looks to be a key part of the club’s plans moving forward and he has a desire to continue to grow and improve.
In addition, he enjoys playing on the road. Nine of his 11 goals for Arsenal and 13 of his 17 Premier League goals have now come away from home.
Why did Gabriel pull Eze aside
Seconds after Viktor Gyokeres scored Arsenal’s second goal in Prague, Gabriel Magalhaes attacked with only one thing on his mind.
It was not a matter of congratulating Gyokeresh but of guiding Eberechi Eze. Gabriel had some harsh words for the winger who was really brilliant but also disappointed in spells.
Overall, Eze was spoiled in the first half. His ability to fly and drift into space and express himself on the ball was a real challenge for Slavia.
However, his indecisiveness also became a bit frustrating for Arsenal as at times he was quite rigid in his play. Both goals came after clinical and smooth moves. There was no hesitation and no real confidence as the Gunners went through the gears.
Eze tried a few tricks and flicks, but Gabriel told him to drop the ball and move things faster. He showed the Brazilian’s leadership qualities, as usually the first thought and action after a goal is to praise the team’s forwards.
Gabriel probably wanted more from Eze, and when you watch the latter, there’s so much raw skill and natural ability – it’s hard to wonder why he doesn’t feature more.
He was decent enough at the Fortuna Arena and numbers wise, it was one of the most positive displays of the campaign so far. He had the most touches in the opposition court (six) and also completed the most dribbles (four). Eze still has two goals in his last three Champions League games.