Arsenal took a major step towards securing a place in the Champions League knockout phase with a 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague on Wednesday night at the Fortuna Arena.
Goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres put the Gunners in control by half time, with Gyokeres delivering what was arguably his best all-round performance since joining from Sporting last summer.
Second-Half Pressure
Arsenal had chances to extend their lead through Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino, but were almost punished for those missed opportunities.
Slavia head coach Jindrich Trpisovsky changed his system during the interval, and a double substitution combined with the Gunners not matching their first-half standards meant the second period told a different story.
Gabriel was forced into a desperate clearance under his own bar, David Raya produced a sensational save to tip a header onto the post, and Arsenal survived a VAR check for a Slavia Prague penalty.
Standing in the Table
Wiktor Nowak pulled a goal back for the hosts in second-half stoppage time, but Arsenal held on to move up to third in the 36-team Champions League table following defeats for Liverpool and Real Betis.
It is now three wins and a draw for Arsenal from their opening four games in this season's league phase, and the result sees the Gunners move within two points of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, the only two sides with perfect winning records at the halfway stage.
Arsenal still have to play Jose Mourinho's side, but next welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Emirates Stadium before rounding off the league phase against Real Betis and Sabah in the new year.
Top-Eight Ambitions
In the new Champions League format, a top-eight finish brings automatic qualification to the last 16 and avoids two extra games in the play-off round for the knockout phase.
As things stand, Mikel Arteta's side still have plenty of work to ensure they finish in the top eight for a third consecutive season.
However, finishing in the top 24 is already within reach based on the points totals from the last two league phase campaigns. In 2024-25, Club Brugge qualified with 11 points, while nine points were enough for Benfica to scrape through in 2025-26.
Arsenal already have 10 points from a possible 12. Therefore, they can perhaps guarantee a place in this season's Champions League knockout phase with victory over Dortmund on November 24 before targeting a bye into the round of 16.
