Another game, another slew of records for Arsenal’s defensive machine. This time it included one that stretched back more than 55 years, when Leeds were the last English team not to concede a goal in their opening four matches, in the 1969‑70 European Cup campaign, under Don Revie.
A determined Slavia Prague side, that came into this game unbeaten in all domestic competitions, gave it their best shot and thought they had been awarded a late penalty, only for the referee to overturn his decision after the video assistant referee called him to the pitchside monitor. The Czech champions finally recorded a shot on target in stoppage time. It meant Arsenal made it eight successive clean sheets in all competitions for the first time since 1903, when they were in what was the Second Division. A penalty from Bukayo Saka and two second‑half goals from the makeshift striker Mikel Merino sealed a 10th successive victory for Mikel Arteta’s ruthless side.
“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,” the delighted Arsenal manager said. “It’s one or two situations where we could have resolved better. If we do that we can keep improving and that record will have a bigger meaning.”
There was also a special moment for Max Dowman as he became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years 308 days when he was brought on to replace the excellent Leandro Trossard with the points already firmly in the bag.
“What he’s done on the pitch, the first ball he takes, he takes people on, he starts to dribble, gets a foul,” Arteta said. “That’s personality, that’s courage and you cannot teach that. You have it or you don’t. It doesn’t matter what his passport says. You throw him in this context and he’s able to adapt.”
It has been to Arsenal’s immense credit that they have maintained their winning run with so many attacking players missing through injury, with Viktor Gyökeres becoming the latest when he limped off against Burnley on Saturday. There are fears that the Sweden striker has injured a hamstring but it is hoped he could return with Gabriel Martinelli and the captain, Martin Ødegaard, in time for the north London derby againstto play Tottenham after the international break.
In the meantime, Merino was back in the role that he filled so admirably last season and showed he has lost none of his sharpness in front of goal with two well-taken finishes. Christian Nørgaard performed well in place of the suspended Martín Zubimendi and Piero Hincapié and Ethan Nwaneri also impressed on rare starts as Arteta rotated his squad.
Jindrich Trpisovsky, the Slavia manager, is an experienced character who has won four league titles and he rated Arsenal beforehand as one of the best teams his side have faced, as well as describing Declan Rice as the best free‑kick taker in the world.
However, it was the hosts who made the more encouraging start as Arsenal were unsettled by their all‑action pressing game, with 6ft 6in Czech international striker Tomas Chory providing a stiff physical test for their defence. Gabriel Magalhães needed treatment for a facial injury midway through the first half but there was never any chance of him coming off.
Saka finally tested Jakub Markovic in the Slavia goal after 25 minutes after powering into the area and a corner from Rice almost sneaked in at the near post. Another Saka shot was just as close and Gabriel was able to make first contact on the resulting corner, with the VAR spotting that Lukas Provod’s left arm had been in an unnatural position when he blocked the Brazilian’s goalbound header. Saka made light of the protestations from the home supporters behind the goal and stepped up to coolly give Arsenal the lead.
Slavia thought they should have had a penalty as well just before the break for handball by Hincapié but this time the referee from Azerbaijan was not interested. Any hopes that they could find a way back into the game were dealt a major blow within 40 seconds of the restart. Rice picked out Trossard in acres of space and his cross was volleyed in emphatically at the near post by Merino. This was Arsenal at their clinical best.
Merino’s second was a real poacher’s finish as he beat Markovic to Rice’s cross to loop his header into the empty net. And it has been some week for Dowman, who became the youngest player to start a game for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup win against Brighton and has now surpassed Youssoufa Moukoko of Borussia Dortmund and his record of 16 years and 18 days set in December 2020. He looked totally at home in these surroundings and not even a late scare, when Ben White was penalised for a high boot before the VAR intervened again, could stop Arsenal on another perfect evening.
