Arsenal’s remarkable run of form continues as they prepare to face Slavia Prague in Tuesday’s Champions League league-phase clash. The Gunners have been unstoppable both domestically and in Europe, boasting a perfect record so far. Their last outing in the competition was a dominant 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid, while Slavia Prague managed a respectable goalless draw away to Atalanta.
The Emirates Stadium witnessed a breathtaking display from Mikel Arteta’s side on matchday three, as four goals flew in within just 13 minutes. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a trademark header before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead, and Viktor Gyokeres struck twice to complete the rout. That victory kept Arsenal flawless in both points and defensive record, one of only two teams yet to concede in this season’s tournament alongside Inter Milan.
Currently sitting fourth in the overall league-phase standings, just behind Inter, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal are well on track to secure automatic qualification for the last 16. Their European dominance mirrors their domestic form, with Arteta’s men now enjoying a nine-match winning streak across all competitions. Their latest triumph, a 2-0 win over Burnley, marked a seventh consecutive clean sheet and further strengthened their grip on top spot in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s consistency under Arteta has been remarkable, and their history against Czech opposition offers further encouragement. The Gunners are unbeaten in all ten of their European meetings with Czech teams, winning eight of them. They will now look to extend that impressive run in Prague against a Slavia side fighting to stay in contention.
Slavia Prague, meanwhile, have had a mixed start to their Champions League campaign. Jindrich Trpisovsky’s team have picked up only two points from their first three matches, following a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt, a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan, and their resilient draw against Atalanta. Despite sitting 28th in the 36-team league-phase table, they have shown defensive improvement in recent weeks.
The Czech champions have recorded five consecutive clean sheets across all competitions, including a 2-0 win over Banik Ostrava at the weekend that took them back to the top of their domestic league. Their solidity at the back will give them some confidence, although breaking down Arsenal’s formidable defence will be another challenge entirely.
Slavia can take heart from their impressive home scoring record, having found the net in 26 of their last 27 European matches in Prague. However, their record against Arsenal tells a different story. The two sides have met four times before, with the Gunners winning three and drawing one. The most recent encounter came in the 2020–21 Europa League quarter-finals, when Arsenal swept the Czech side aside 4-0 in the return leg.
With Arsenal in devastating form and Slavia looking for their first Champions League win of the season, Tuesday’s match promises to be another test of Arteta’s side’s growing maturity and hunger for success.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
It was a case of mixed emotions for Arsenal fans at the weekend as their win over Burnley came at a cost. Both Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres were forced off with injuries during the match at Turf Moor, leaving Mikel Arteta with fresh concerns ahead of the trip to Prague. The extent of their injuries has not yet been confirmed, but Zubimendi was already set to miss this Champions League fixture due to suspension after picking up too many yellow cards.
In his absence, Christian Norgaard is expected to make his first-ever start in the competition, while Mikel Merino may once again be pushed forward into a makeshift striker role to compensate for the injured Gyokeres. Arsenal’s attacking options remain limited, with Gabriel Martinelli—who has impressively scored in every Champions League game this season—also sidelined with a muscle problem. Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz are likewise unavailable as they all continue to recover from knee injuries.
Slavia Prague are also facing their share of injury setbacks ahead of Tuesday’s contest. Manager Jindrich Trpisovsky will be without several key players, including Ivan Schranz, Filip Horsky, Petr Sevcik, Dominik Javorcek, Tomas Holes, Igoh Ogbu, and captain Jan Boril. The absence of Boril means Lukas Provod will wear the armband and take on a central creative role behind the forwards, while former Luton Town defender Daiki Hashioka is expected to start on the bench.
Both teams enter the game stretched by injuries, but with Arsenal’s squad depth and recent form, Arteta will hope his side can continue their flawless run in Europe despite the growing list of absentees.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Slavia Prague possible starting lineup:
Markovic; Zima, Chaloupek, Vlceck; Moses, Oscar, Zafeiris, Mbodji; Provod; Chory, Chytil
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Merino, Trossard
EXPERT PREDICTION
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
