ARSENAL managed to prevail against a late challenge from Czech outfit Slavia Prague, achieving a triumph that revitalizes their Champions League ambitions.

Mikel Arteta’s squad continues their unbeaten streak in the tournament, although they narrowly missed out on securing a vital clean sheet as they approach the knockout stages.

Viktor Gyokeres delivered an exceptional performance for the visiting team, despite not every player reaching their peak on the night.

Here’s how SunSport’s Mitchell Hall assessed the performance of the traveling Gunners.

David Raya – 5

The Arsenal goalkeeper enjoyed a quiet evening, facing no shots on target during the first half.

His contributions mostly included ambitious long passes to Gyokeres, which directly led to the opening goal.

Exhibited some tense moments when dealing with Slavia’s crosses and the taller attackers in the box during the second half, needing to manage a late cross better to secure the clean sheet.

Ben White – 5

Showed some encouraging signs early in the match, particularly in offensive situations.

However, his influence waned as Arsenal began to gain traction in central areas.

Called into action defensively late in the game but had little lasting impact on the overall outcome.

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Ezri Konsa – 6

Had the task of managing Slavia’s quick wide players while Hincapie and White advanced up the pitch.

Committed a reckless challenge that resulted in a yellow card but avoided any significant mistakes in crucial areas.

Was substituted for Cristhian Mosquera in the 62nd minute to avoid a second booking.

Gabriel Magalhaes – 6

Occasionally stepped up to confront Piero Hincapie and ventured higher up the pitch, managing to recover well and effectively mark his runner.

Piero Hincapie – 5

Faced a challenging opponent throughout the match and was caught high on the pitch a few times, though Konsa often covered for him.

Failed to mark his man late in the game, allowing a header that fortunately went wide.

Declan Rice – 8

Took charge as captain in Martin Odegaard’s absence and demonstrated his leadership on the field.

Handled Slavia’s long balls with ease and remained unfazed by their pressing efforts.

His proactive forward movement contributed to Arsenal’s second goal as he provided a line-breaking pass to Gyokeres in a dangerous zone.

Martin Zubimendi – 6

Maintained the flow of midfield play without the need to cover as much ground as Rice.

While his performance wasn’t particularly memorable, he effectively recycled possession when Slavia attempted to clear, helping Arsenal sustain pressure.

Noni Madueke – 7

Scored elegantly after making a clever run behind the defense.

Though he didn’t see much of the ball on the right side, he looked dangerous when involved, often pushing toward the touchline and delivering crosses to the back post.

Mikel Merino – 7

Operated as the most advanced midfielder in a three-man setup and sometimes supported Gyokeres as a secondary striker.

Positioned himself effectively to assist the Swede’s goal and came very close to scoring himself from a close range.

Eberechi Eze – 5

His effort was commendable as he ran tirelessly, yet, as has been the case this season, his performance lacked synchronization.

Had a great chance to extend the lead after slipping past his marker with a feint but weakly rolled his shot into a covering defender.

Beyond that, not much else went in his favor.

Viktor Gyokeres – 8

The Swedish forward took the opportunity to impress Mikel Arteta with his performance.

Dominated the Slavia defense and demonstrated remarkable strength and awareness in setting up Noni Madueke for the first goal.

He then added a goal of his own with a delicate finish that slipped over a sliding defender and hit the post, marking his first Champions League goal of the season.

Substitutes

Cristhian Mosquera (for Hincapie 62′) – 5

Injected much-needed energy into a backline stretched by the pace of Emmanuel Ayaosi.

However, he appeared somewhat awkward in the final thirty minutes, even colliding with two Slavia players simultaneously.

Christos Tzolis (for Eze 62′) – 5

Had little involvement after his introduction, failing to make a notable impact as the focus shifted to securing the clean sheet.

Jurrien Timber (for White 79′) – 6

Unexpectedly pushed forward and nearly added to the tally, though primarily focused on ensuring defensive stability.

Martin Odegaard (for Gyokeres 79′) – 6

Came on for Gyokeres to establish control as the match became increasingly frenetic.

Max Dowman (for Madueke 90′) – N/A