Arsenal are looking to strengthen their position in the Champions League when they take on Czech giants Slavia Praha at Fortuna Arena on Wednesday night.
The English champions are leading the Premier League points table and remain unbeaten in the top European competition ahead of their trip to Prague. Their recent win against Liverpool away cleared the doubts that emerged after a shock Carabao Cup third-round defeat to Fleetwood, the fourth-tier English club.
Slavia Praha, on the other hand, remain unbeaten in the Czech First League, but are still searching for their first Champions League win of the season. They will look to capitalise on their strong home support to overcome the in-form Arsenal side.
Last 5 games
Slavia Praha enter this fixture after their 5-0 win against Jablonec away on Saturday. Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men remain unbeaten in their last five games, winning two and drawing the remaining games. They famously held Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the away Champions League game, but endured disappointing home draws against Hradec Kralove and Mlada Boleslav.
Meanwhile, Arsenal recorded a statement 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield to overcome their defeat against Fleetwood. In their last five games, they won three league matches, lost a Carabao Cup clash against Fleetwood on penalties, and held Bayern Munich in a 2-2 away draw.
Slavia Praha: 32nd
Win: 0-5 vs Jablonec
Win: 4-0 vs Brno
Draw: 1-1 vs Mlada Boleslav
Draw: 2-2 vs Fenerbahce
Draw: 0-0 vs Hradec Kralove
Arsenal: 7th
Win: 0-1 vs Liverpool
Loss: 1(5)-1(3) vs Fleetwood
Win: 2-0 vs Everton
Draw: 2-2 vs Bayern Munich
Win: 0-1 vs Nottingham Forest
Team News:
Slavia Praha will be without their in-form centre-back Ange N’Guessan. He walked off after scoring against Jablonec last week. Tomas Holes is expected to replace the French defender in an only change for the hosts on Wednesday.
Arsenal are expected to rotate their starting eleven as they next face Hull City on Saturday. Ben White and Piero Hincapie are likely to take up the full-back duties and Mikel Merino, who scored a brace against Slavia Praha last season, might get a nod ahead of Bruno Guimaraes. At front, Viktor Gyokeres is likely to replace Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze could come in for Christos Tzolis. Max Dowman, who is serving a three-match ban in the domestic leagues, might get a chance to impress.
Possible Lineups:
Slavia Praha: Nazar Domchak; Tomas Vlcek, Tomas Holes, David Zima; Mubarak Suleiman, David Moses, Michal Sadilek, Oskar Kubiak; Emmanuel Ayaosi, Danijel Sturm; Wiktor Nowak
Arsenal: David Raya; Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincapie; Mikel Merino, Declan Rice; Max Dowman, Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze; Viktor Gyokeres
Head-to-Head
Arsenal lead the head-to-head record with three wins and two draws from five matches against Slavia Praha. The Gunners recorded a 3-0 win in their most recent meeting in the league phase last season. Praha held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at home in 2007 and salvaged a 1-1 draw at Emirates in the Europa League game in 2021.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Viktor Gyokeres scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal’s shock defeat against Fleetwood last week. He could get another chance to impress against Praha after providing an assist against Bayern Munich. The Swedish striker could use this opportunity to overcome his struggles this season and his performance should reflect the scoreline on Wednesday.
Eberechi Eze is another name to watch out for in this fixture. The 28-year-old winger has scored a goal in each of Arsenal’s last two Champions League games and was an unused substitute against Liverpool. He is expected to continue his continental form with a game-changing performance against Slavia Praha.
Prediction
Arsenal are clear favourites to win this fixture after their sublime performance against Liverpool. Mikel Arteta’s side has an unbeaten record against the Red and Whites, and the difference in quality hints at a big win for the North London giants.
The Gunners recorded a 7-0 victory against Slavia Praha in 2007, their joint-biggest ever win in the tournament. They have scored seven goals without conceding in their last two meetings against the Czech champions.
Meanwhile, despite their strong run in the domestic tournaments, Slavia Praha remain without a win in the Champions League this season. They are facing an 18-match winless run in the European competitions, and are unlikely to see the streak coming to an end on Wednesday.
Our Prediction: Slavia Praha 0-4 Arsenal
Odds
Slavia Praha win: 11/1
Draw: 11/2
Arsenal: 28/100
Arsenal have a 71% chance of winning this game as odds favour the in-form English side. Slavia Praha’s chances of winning this game are only 12%, while there is a 17% chance of both teams sharing the points in Prague. If you bet £10 on Arsenal’s win, and Mikel Arteta’s side delivers, then you could get £12.80 in return. However, if you place £10 on a Slavia Praha victory and the hosts produce a surprise, you could collect a staggering £120 in return. A £10 bet on the draw would return £65 should the two sides finish level after 90 minutes.
