Arsenal continued their remarkable run of form with a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague, securing a 10th consecutive win and extending their clean sheet streak to eight matches. The result marked a historic defensive milestone, as Arsenal became the first English side to go unbeaten in their opening four European Cup matches since Leeds United in the 1969-70 campaign.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a VAR intervention, and Mikel Merino added two second-half goals to seal the win. Slavia thought they had been awarded a late penalty, but the decision was overturned following a review. The Czech champions managed their first shot on target only in stoppage time.
Manager Mikel Arteta praised his team's mindset, saying, 'The most pleasing thing probably is not the record, it’s the mindset of the players. They are talking there about how we can still do better.' Arteta also highlighted the importance of maintaining standards despite injuries to key attackers like Viktor Gyökeres, who limped off against Burnley.
Teenager Max Dowman made history by becoming the youngest player to appear in the Champions League at 15 years and 308 days. Arteta hailed his courage: 'What he’s done on the pitch, the first ball he takes, he takes people on, he starts to dribble, gets a foul. That’s personality, that’s courage and you cannot teach that.'
With the international break approaching, Arsenal hope to have Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard back for the north London derby against Tottenham. Merino's double ensured the Gunners remain on track for a strong season, with Arteta emphasising the team's collective spirit and defensive solidity.
