Preview: Arsenal take their defensive record to Prague
Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders are in Czechia to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday.
By Graham Ruthven
Mismatch
You have to scroll through a lot of the current Champions League standings to get to Slavia Prague from Arsenal. Indeed, 24 places separate the two sides ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
Arsenal’s perfect start to the continental campaign has marked them out as one of Europe’s strongest teams right now while Slavia have just two points from their opening three fixtures.
The omens are good for the Gunners ahead of Tuesday’s match. Arsenal have won each of their last seven League Phase matches and have never lost to Czech opposition in a UEFA competition.
These two teams are fighting for different things this season. While Arsenal want to win the Champions League for the first time in their history, Slavia Prague are merely targeting a place in the knockout rounds.
A Slavia win would be among the biggest shocks produced in this season’s Champions League. Mikel Arteta’s team are firm favourites.
Key players
Arteta could rotate his lineup ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Sunderland in the Premier League this weekend, making it challenging to predict how Arsenal will shape up in Prague on Tuesday.
Bukayo Saka is expected to start on the right wing. The English winger remains the Gunners’ most reliable creative presence, averaging 0.9 shots on target per 90 minutes this season.
Christian Nørgaard could be in line to start in the Champions League for the first time with the Danish midfielder a potential replacement for Martin Zubimendi who suffered an injury against Burnley.
At the back, Piero Hincapié might be given the nod to start in central defence after overcoming an injury which impacted his first two months as an Arsenal player after joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
Slavia Prague have kept five clean sheets in their last five games in all competitions and so Arsenal could find the Czech opponents difficult to break down.
A back three of Jan Bořil, Tomáš Vlček and David Zima will aim to limit Arsenal’s scoring opportunities with goalkeeper Jakub Markovič the last line of defence. Slavia must be sharp.
Youssoupha Mbodji bagged a brace against Bodø/Glimt earlier in the competition and could be a threat down the left side for Slavia on Tuesday night.
Team news
Saturday’s comfortable 2-0 win over Burnley came at a cost as Viktor Gyökeres and Zubimendi both sustained injuries, although the extent of their knocks are not fully known yet.
Gabriel Martinelli is also expected to sit out the trip to Czechia with Martin Ødegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all currently sidelined for the North London club.
Slavia Prague will be without a number of players for the visit of the Premier League leaders, limiting Jindřich Trpišovský’s options.
Ivan Schranz, Filip Horsky, Petr Ševčík, Dominik Javorček, Tomáš Holeš, Igoh Ogbu and Jan Bořil (unspecified) are all sidelined and will be unavailable to face Arsenal.
Prediction
The Gunners don’t often come up against a side with a defensive record similar to theirs, but as their results have shown in the Champions League, perhaps the gulf between the Czech 1. Liga leaders and the Premier League leaders will be evident: Slavia Prague 0-2 Arsenal.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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