Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have “a lot to learn” after they survived a difficult second half to beat Slavia Prague 2-1 in the Champions League.
Arsenal appeared to be in complete control when Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres scored before half-time. Mikel Merino also missed several chances, with the visitors potentially left to regret those opportunities after their performance deteriorated following the interval.
Slavia applied sustained pressure and eventually reduced the deficit through Wiktor Nowak in the 90th minute. Arsenal had been fortunate before then, with Mojmir Chytil seeing an effort cleared off the line before David Raya produced an outstanding save to turn Oskar Kubiak’s header on to the post.
The Czech side had 17 shots in the second half, the joint-most Arsenal have faced in a single half of a Champions League match under Arteta. Sporting CP also managed 17 in the second half in November 2024.
Slavia’s 2.11 expected goals (xG) was the highest total recorded by any opponent against Arsenal in one half since 2023-24.
Despite the late pressure, Arsenal preserved their unbeaten start to this season’s Champions League and secured their 13th win in all competitions. That is the joint-highest total among teams in Europe’s big-five leagues, alongside Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Arteta, however, was unhappy with the way his side performed after the break.
“Always we need to value winning away in the Champions League,” he told TNT Sports. “It is extremely difficult.
“Two very different halves. We should have had three or four goals in the first half, but we didn’t do it. Right at the start of the second half, we were on the back foot, very sloppy and gave balls away. Then we had to suffer. A lot to learn.”
The Arsenal manager said his players needed to be more clinical before the interval and find a way to regain control afterwards.
“We should have scored more in the first half, and if we didn’t do that, we had to go and do that in the second half,” he added.
Arteta made six changes to the team that defeated Liverpool but said he would make the same decision again.
“We made six changes to the starting line-up from our win over Liverpool, but we know the quality of the players we have,” he said. “Whether we were lacking something, I don’t know, but I would have done the same thing [again].”
He also highlighted Arsenal’s unbeaten record on the road this season, saying: “I value what the team has done now; it is 11 away games we played.”
Only Paris Saint-Germain, with 25 victories, have won more Champions League matches than Arsenal’s 23 since the start of the 2024-25 season.
Arsenal have now gone seven matches against teams from Czechia without defeat, recording six wins and one draw. Three of those games have been against Sparta Prague and four against Slavia, although this was the first time they had conceded on Czech soil.
Raya also stressed the contrast between Arsenal’s two halves.
“First half, we played really, really well,” he told TNT Sports. “We created a lot of chances and could have scored more, but the second half was completely different.
“They stepped up a gear and made it difficult for us, and we have to learn from it. Delighted with the win, but a lot of things to improve going forward.”
He said Slavia may have pressed higher and with greater intensity, while Arsenal gave the ball away too often, particularly in the final third.
“There was too much running from box to box, and we have to manage those reactions and go for the third and fourth goal,” Raya said. “At the end of the day, it is three points.”
