Arsenal extended their winning streak to 10 games in all competitions with two goals from makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino and a Bukayo Saka strike seeing off Slavia Prague and maintaining their 100 per cent record in the Champions League.
The Gunners were hustled out of their stride early on by Slavia but once Saka put them ahead from the penalty spot after 32 minutes it was largely one-way traffic.
Any hopes Slavia had of staging a second-half comeback were effectively ended within 30 seconds of the restart when Merino, starting up front in place of the injured Viktor Gyokeres, volleyed home.
And the Spain international made it 3-0 after 69 minutes to complete another satisfying night for Arsenal, who were afforded the luxury of being able to bring on Max Dowman with 17 minutes to go. At 15 years and 308 days, Dowman became the youngest player to ever appear in the Champions League.
Saka makes the breakthrough
Gabriel has been instrumental in several Arsenal goals recently, largely due to his aerial prowess from set-pieces, but the Brazilian almost silenced the boisterous home crowd after two minutes with a superb volley from the edge of the area that flashed past Jakub Markovic’s left-hand post.
Slavia responded with Lukas Provod bursting forward and shooting narrowly wide. And the hosts’ high press continued to unsettle the Gunners, Youssoupha Mbodji the next to try his luck from long distance.
Arsenal were struggling to get much going in attack but in Saka they have a useful outlet and the England winger forced Markovic into a save after 21 minutes with a curling left-footed effort.
Markovic saved from Saka again five minutes later, tipping his shot wide and prompting a flurry of corners that eventually led to the opening goal.
Saka’s delivery was directed by Gabriel towards goal but it hit Provod and, following the intervention of the VAR, a penalty was awarded for handball. Saka made no mistake, burying his shot powerfully into the bottom right-hand corner.
Arsenal had finally regained the intensity that has led to them topping the Premier League and Leandro Trossard and Saka both had efforts smuggled clear by the suddenly overworked Slavia defence.
Merino at the double
The home fans had barely had time to retake their seats following the restart when Arsenal killed the game. The Slavia defence failed to pick up Trossard and his cross was inch-perfect for Merino to finish with aplomb.
Saka ought to have made it 3-0 after 61 minutes but, having run on to Declan Rice’s pass, shot weakly at Markovic with his right foot.
Arsenal were almost made to pay with only a last-ditch tackle from Gabriel denying substitute Mojmir Chytil a simple finish.
Merino added his second of the night after combining with Rice. The former West Ham midfielder looped a ball into the area which appeared destined to drop into the hands of Markovic but Merino nipped in front of the goalkeeper to divert the ball home.
Slavia thought they had a penalty late on when Ben White tangled with Provod inside the area but, having initially awarded the spot-kick, referee Aliyar Aghayev overturned his decision after viewing the incident again on the pitchside monitor.
Arsenal’s clean sheet remained in tact and they have now gone eight games without conceding a goal.
