Arsenal were forced to withstand a late Slavia Prague fightback to claim a 2-1 victory in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 4, moving third in the league-phase standings after a dominant first-half performance threatened to unravel following the break.
Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres scored in the opening half to give Mikel Arteta's side a two-goal advantage, but Wiktor Nowak's 90th-minute strike set up a tense finish at the Fortuna Arena.
The Gunners eventually held on to collect all three points, recording their third victory in four league-phase matches and extending their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 19 games.
Arsenal took the lead in the ninth minute through Madueke, who finished calmly after Gyökeres created the opportunity with an impressive piece of hold-up play.
The Swedish striker controlled David Raya's long ball before releasing Madueke into space on the right. The England international drove towards goal and fired past Slavia goalkeeper Nazar Domchak to put the visitors ahead.
Arsenal continued to dictate proceedings, with Mikel Merino coming close to extending the advantage on two occasions as the hosts struggled to contain their attacking pressure.
The visitors eventually doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Gyökeres found the net after combining with Merino. The striker collected the Spaniard's pass inside the penalty area before guiding a composed finish into the far corner.
Arsenal went into the break with a comfortable advantage after largely restricting Slavia to limited attacking opportunities.
However, the hosts returned with greater urgency and immediately tested Raya, who was forced to save an effort from Oskar Kubiak shortly after the restart.
Slavia increasingly pushed Arsenal onto the back foot, creating several opportunities as the visitors struggled to maintain their first-half intensity.
Gabriel Magalhães proved crucial in preserving the lead, clearing a goal-bound header off the line after Raya had been unable to deal with a Slavia corner.
Raya was also called upon to make another important intervention, producing an impressive save to push Kubiak's header onto the post and prevent the hosts from reducing the deficit.
Slavia's sustained pressure finally produced a goal in the 90th minute when Nowak converted from close range following David Jurásek's delivery, leaving Arsenal facing a difficult finish.
The hosts continued searching for an equaliser during stoppage time, but Arsenal managed to protect their advantage and secure the victory.
The result lifted Arsenal to third in the Champions League league-phase standings, strengthening their position as they continue their pursuit of a place in the knockout rounds.
Arteta's side will now turn their attention to domestic action, with Hull City scheduled to visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, November 7, as the Gunners seek to maintain their momentum across competitions.
