By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Arsenal secured a 2-1 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague but manager Mikel Arteta expressed dissatisfaction with his team's second-half display.
First-half dominance
Noni Madueke gave Arsenal an early lead after nine minutes, and Victor Gyokeres added a stylish second before half-time, leaving the Gunners in control.
Second-half slump
Arsenal appeared to tire after the break, with Gabriel twice clearing headers off the goal-line and David Raya producing a stunning save to deny Oskar Kubiak. Slavia Prague pulled one back in the final minute when Wiktor Nowak converted David Jurasek's cross, forcing Arsenal to hang on through stoppage time.
Arteta's assessment
Arteta described the match as "two very different halves," praising the first-half performance but criticizing the second half as "very sloppy." He said Arsenal gave away too many balls, lost structure, and failed to control Slavia's chaotic energy.
Raya's crucial save
Goalkeeper David Raya admitted Arsenal were surprised by Slavia's intensity in the second half. His stretch save onto the post from Kubiak's header preserved the win, and he compared it to a similar stop against Bayern Munich.
Standings impact
The win lifted Arsenal to third in the Champions League table with three victories from four matches, but Arteta emphasized the need to learn from the second-half difficulties.
