Gyokeres stars as unbeaten Arsenal see off Slavia

Viktor Gyokeres scored and assisted as Arsenal maintained their unbeaten streak in the Champions League group stage with a victory over Slavia Prague. Manager Mikel Arteta made six substitutions to the team that had beaten Liverpool in the Premier League the previous day, with Gyokeres replacing Kai Havertz at the forefront. The Swedish forward played a pivotal role in opening the scoring, setting up Noni Madueke to score in the ninth minute from a clever pass.

Gyokeres himself added a second goal before halftime, curling the ball past the post after exchanging passes with Mikel Merino. Slavia Prague showed resilience in the second half, forcing a crucial save from Arsenal goalkeeper Gabriel Magalhaes just after the restart when Oskar Kubiak shot from the edge of the area. Gabriel Magalhaes also managed to clear a header from Mojmir Chytil off the goal line shortly after.

Arsenal eventually managed to pull one back in the 90th minute when Wiktor Nowak scored from close range. The Gunners, who had a perfect record in the group stage last season, remain unbeaten after their first four matches this season and sit third in the table behind Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid. Arteta expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, acknowledging they fell short of their usual standards, particularly in the second half.

He emphasized the team's spirit and conviction, stating that they grabbed every opportunity when presented with it. Despite falling short of expectations, Arsenal managed to secure a crucial win.