Slavia Prague head coach Jindrich Trpisovsky has said Arsenal gave his side a “footballing lesson” during their Champions League showdown.
First half goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres ultimately proved to be the difference for Arsenal on Wednesday night as they left the Fortuna Arena with all three points for a second season in a row.
However, the Gunners simply did not have things their own way and were left hanging on at the end when Wiktor Nowak pulled a goal back for the hosts in second half stoppage time.
Arsenal edge a tense contest
Prior to that, Gabriel was forced into a desperate clearance under his own bar, David Raya produced one sensational save to tip a header onto the post and Slavia Prague had a claim for a penalty checked and cleared by VAR.
Reflecting on the defeat, which saw Slavia become the first team in Champions League history to not win for 23 matches, Trpisovsky heaped praise on the Premier League champions but felt his half time changes made a massive difference.
Trpisovsky praises his side's second-half response
“At half-time, we had a long and honest discussion,” he told UEFA. “The substitutions worked well, and the change in formation made a difference. We started the second half strongly. In the first half, we were too far away from our opponents and Arsenal had a clear edge.
“They gave us a footballing lesson, but after the break we got much closer to them. We fought for every ball, competed hard and played with real intensity.
"We all felt that the second half was much better. We got a goal, and I believed we would create a few more chances. I'm pleased that we were able to give the fans something to celebrate with that goal.
"These are hugely valuable experiences for us. In the first half, we showed too much respect for the quality of our opponents. The second half, however, showed us the way forward and gave us a blueprint for future matches."
