Arsenal survive Slavia Prague fightback to maintain unbeaten UCL run

First-half goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres gave Mikel Arteta's side a commanding advantage, but the visitors were forced to withstand considerable pressure after the break before securing all three points.

Arsenal dominated the opening 45 minutes, with Madueke breaking the deadlock after latching onto a pass from Gyokeres and producing a composed finish.

The Swedish forward then turned goalscorer himself, combining with Mikel Merino before curling an impressive effort beyond the Slavia goalkeeper to double the Gunners' advantage.

Having made six changes following Sunday's 1-0 victory over Liverpool, Arteta appeared to have found the right formula as his side controlled proceedings and created further opportunities to extend their lead.

However, the contest took a different turn after the interval.

Slavia switched to a three-man defence and adopted a more attacking approach, putting Arsenal under sustained pressure as the hosts searched for a way back into the contest.

The Czech side registered 17 second-half attempts, compared to just one in the opening period, with goalkeeper David Raya called upon to make several crucial interventions.

The Spaniard produced an outstanding save to divert Oskar Kubiak's header onto the post, while Gabriel Magalhaes was also required to clear an effort off the goal line.

Slavia's persistence eventually paid off when Wiktor Nowak struck from close range late on, reducing the deficit and setting up a tense conclusion.

Arsenal managed to withstand the hosts' late pressure, however, securing a third victory in four league phase matches to climb to third in the standings.

The result also preserves the Gunners' unbeaten record in this season's competition, although their second-half struggles provided Arteta with plenty to consider ahead of their next European outing.

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