Gyökeres scores and assists as Arsenal hold off Slavia Prague

Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2–1 in the Champions League in Prague on Wednesday, with Viktor Gyökeres providing an assist and a goal before the hosts threatened a late recovery. According to the Guardian’s match report, Noni Madueke opened the scoring and Wiktor Nowak eventually replied for Slavia.

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Gyökeres created the opener by controlling David Raya’s long pass and releasing Madueke, who scored after eight minutes. The striker then combined with Mikel Merino before curling in Arsenal’s second seven minutes before half-time. Merino had also been denied by goalkeeper Nazar Domchak as the visitors sought to extend their advantage.

Slavia increased the pressure after the interval. Gabriel Magalhães made two goal-line clearances following a corner, while Raya pushed Oskar Kubiak’s effort against a post. Nowak scored at the far post in the final minute of normal time, but Arsenal survived stoppage time to secure the victory, the Guardian reported.

The result extended Arsenal’s unbeaten sequence away from home in the Champions League to 10 matches. UEFA’s pre-match statistical record listed six wins and three draws from their previous nine away fixtures. Their most recent European trip had ended 2–2 at Bayern Munich, halting a run of 14 consecutive league-phase victories.

Slavia’s wait for another Champions League victory now stretches to 23 matches. UEFA records their previous win as a 2–1 home success against Steaua București in September 2007, on their debut in the competition proper. They had collected their first point of this season’s league phase by drawing 2–2 at Fenerbahçe after conceding twice in the opening 11 minutes.

Arsenal also maintained their unbeaten record against Slavia, having entered this match with three wins and two draws from five meetings, according to UEFA. They had won 3–0 in Prague exactly a year earlier, when Bukayo Saka scored once and Merino twice. Nowak’s late goal ended Slavia’s run of three home meetings with Arsenal without scoring, though it did not change the outcome.