Arsenal maintained their flawless run in the UEFA Champions League with a 3–0 victory over Slavia Prague in the Czech capital on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to four games and equalling a club record of eight consecutive clean sheets.
Mikel Merino netted twice in the second half, while Bukayo Saka converted a penalty to seal the win. The night also saw 15-year-old Max Dowman make history as the youngest-ever player to feature in the competition.
Read Also: Osimhen leads Nigerian charge as UEFA Champions League heats up
In a post-match statement, the club said: “We made it four wins out of four in the Champions League and equalled a club record for eight consecutive clean sheets with a 3–0 win in the Czech capital.”
After early exchanges that saw Slavia Prague threaten without hitting the target, Arsenal grew into the contest and took control of possession.
According to the club, “Saka forced a couple of saves from Jakub Markovic when breaking into the area. The second resulted in a corner that Leandro Trossard flicked over the bar at the near post.”
Their breakthrough came just after the half-hour mark when Saka converted from the spot following a handball in the area.
The statement noted: “Saka took his time before firing low into the bottom right corner.
“It’s the fourth consecutive Champions League game in which he has netted, and it took his overall tally in the competition to 12 goals from just 20 starts.”
Merino doubles, Saka penalty
Starting as a makeshift striker in place of the injured Viktor Gyokeres, Merino struck almost immediately after the restart.
Arsenal wrote, “He volleyed home Leandro Trossard’s left wing cross from close range.
“The Spaniard had ghosted in between two defenders to notch his 18th goal of the calendar year for club and country.”
The Spaniard wasn’t done.
Twenty minutes later, he headed in a second goal after goalkeeper Markovic failed to deal with Declan Rice’s delivery.
As the release reported, “Markovic jumped up with the Spaniard, but made a mess of claiming the ball, and Merino headed in.”
Dowman makes UCL history
With the result beyond doubt, manager Mikel Arteta introduced several youngsters, including Max Dowman, who entered the record books.
The club confirmed, “That was the signal for Mikel Arteta to make a triple change, with Dowman sent on for his Champions League debut. In the process, he became the youngest player in the competition’s history, at the age of 15 years and 308 days.”
The Gunners’ defence remained resolute until the end.
A late Slavia penalty appeal was overturned by VAR, ensuring Arsenal’s remarkable clean-sheet streak continued.
“So the clean sheet run goes on. Eight in a row equals a club record that has stood since 1903,” the statement read.
Arsenal will travel to Sunderland on Saturday for their next Premier League fixture, before hosting FC Bayern Munich in the Champions League after the November international break.
