Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal: Madueke and Gyökeres strike early
Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 2-1 at the Fortuna Arena (Eden Arena) in Prague on Wednesday 4 November 2026 (21:00 WAT kick-off) in matchday four of the Champions League league phase. Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres scored in the first half, Wiktor Nowak pulled one back in the 90th minute, and Arsenal held on to move up to third.
By Emily · · Updated
What happened in Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal?
Arsenal won 2-1 in Prague on Wednesday night after leading 2-0 at half-time. The 21:00 WAT kick-off drew 19,308 to the stadium, according to the DFB data centre match sheet. The Arsenal.com match report says the win lifts Arsenal to third in the league-phase table and makes it 10 away games unbeaten in the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.
How did Madueke and Gyökeres score?
The opener came after nine minutes. Slavia defender Oskar Kubiak misjudged a high ball, Gyökeres held it up and hooked a pass in behind, and Madueke outpaced Kubiak before sliding his finish past goalkeeper Nazar Domchak, the club report says. It was his first Champions League goal since a brace against Club Brugge last December. Mikel Merino then had a run of chances, including a header over from a Gyökeres knockdown and a scuffed shot from a Ben White cut-back on 25 minutes.
The second goal arrived on 38 minutes. Merino won the ball in Slavia's half, Declan Rice found Gyökeres, and the Swede played a one-two with Merino before curling a shot in off the post from a tight angle, as Sky Sports described it. Sky noted he had not scored in his first 10 appearances of the season and now has two in his last three, following his goal against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.
How did Slavia get back into it?
Slavia were a different side after the break. Gabriel headed a Mojmír Chytil effort off the line before David Raya pushed the follow-up away, and Raya later turned a Kubiak header onto the post. BBC Sport player ratings noted that Raya had flapped at the corner that led to the goal-line clearance. Slavia finally scored in the 90th minute when David Jurásek's low cross found Nowak, and the Czech champions pushed for an equaliser through five minutes of stoppage time.
Who played for Arsenal?
Arteta made six changes from Sunday's 1-0 win over Liverpool, bringing in White, Piero Hincapié, Merino, Martín Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze and Gyökeres, per Football London. The XI was Raya; White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel and Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice and Merino; Madueke, Eze and Gyökeres. Konsa was booked for a late challenge in the second half and replaced on 62 minutes, with Eze also withdrawn then; Jurriën Timber and Martin Ødegaard came on at 78, the BBC ratings show. Saliba, Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori were among the unused substitutes.
What did Arteta and Raya say?
Arteta told TNT Sports, in quotes carried by Sky Sports and BBC Sport, that it was "two very different halves". He added: "We were on the back foot, very sloppy, we gave so many balls away, so many bad clearances," and closed with: "A lot to learn." In the BBC Sport reaction piece, he also stressed the value of the result: "I value what the team has done now, it is 11 away games we played." Raya told TNT Sports: "First half we played really, really well. We created a lot of chances and could have scored more, but the second half was completely different."
What do the numbers say?
Opta Analyst has Arsenal unbeaten in 19 Champions League games (14 wins, five draws) and in 32 games in the competition after taking a 1-0 lead. Gyökeres has 16 goal involvements in 25 Champions League appearances, 12 goals and four assists. Arsenal have won 13 matches in all competitions this season, joint-most in Europe's big five leagues with Barcelona and Real Madrid. For Slavia, the defeat equals the longest winless run in European Cup history at 23 games (eight draws, 15 defeats), and coach Jindřich Trpišovský now holds the record for the longest winless run by a manager in the Champions League, at 18 matches.
TuSport desk: what changed from our pre-match board
Our preview on Wednesday afternoon had William Saliba back in contention after his back injury, Max Dowman eligible in Europe despite his domestic ban, and Bukayo Saka still missing. All three held. Saliba made the squad for the first time this season but stayed on the bench, which Football London reported was a deliberate call with another Premier League game less than three days away. Dowman came on for Madueke in the 90th minute. Saka was in neither the starting XI nor the list of substitutes.
The shot count is where the sources split, and the gap is worth flagging. Sky Sports and the club both counted 17 Slavia shots after the break; Opta Analyst counted 16, worth 2.17 expected goals, against four Arsenal attempts worth 0.19. Either way, the swing was stark: Slavia had one effort in the whole first half. On our reading, Arteta's six changes bought rest for the Hull game but cost Arsenal control once Slavia pressed higher. The two goals before half-time were enough, and a club that has not lost in 32 Champions League games after scoring first did not lose this one.
For fans in Nigeria, the next two kick-offs are Arsenal v Hull City on Saturday 7 November at 16:00 WAT, then a trip to Newcastle United on Saturday 21 November after the international break.
Why it matters
Third place on 10 points puts Arsenal in a strong position for a top-eight finish and direct entry to the last 16, while the second-half wobble gives Arteta clear work before Hull. Follow the Arsenal and Champions League hubs, our Champions League guide and the WAT kick-off times guide. Read our earlier reports on Arsenal's appeal against Max Dowman's red card at Fleetwood and Vincent Kompany leaving hospital at Bayern Munich.
Sources: Arsenal FC — Report: Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal · Sky Sports — Slavia Prague vs Arsenal; UEFA Champions League · Opta Analyst — Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal Stats: Gyökeres Stars in Gunners Win to Extend Unbeaten UCL Start · BBC Sport — Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal: What Arteta and Raya said · BBC Sport — Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal: How the players rated · DFB data centre — Slavia Prague - Arsenal FC, 1:2, Champions League 2026/27 matchday · Football London — William Saliba and Max Dowman decisions made as Arsenal confirm six changes vs Slavia Prague · Premier League — Fixture amendments for Premier League matches in November
