Arsenal enjoyed another strong Champions League outing on Tuesday, producing a professional display to see off Slavia Prague with a 3-0 win away from home. With key players unavailable, the tie had the potential to be a difficult one because the Czech champions had not conceded in their previous five matches. Mikel Arteta had highlighted their organisation before kick off, yet his side handled the occasion with confidence at the Fortuna Stadium.
Goals in each half from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino (x2) secured Arsenal’s tenth win in a row in all competitions. The result leaves Arteta’s side joint first with Bayern Munich and still yet to concede in the Champions League this season. The balance in midfield and the calmness in possession ensured control, and the front line moved with purpose throughout.
Raya reaches 50 clean sheets
The victory also marked Arsenal’s eighth consecutive clean sheet and their 13th of the season. As cited by Arsenal, the shutout in Prague was David Raya’s 50th clean sheet for the club. Eleven of those have arrived this campaign. The Spaniard has now made 69 appearances in Arsenal colours, averaging a clean sheet every 1.38 matches. His shot stopping, distribution and command of his area have been key parts of Arsenal’s development since his arrival.
Defensive structure key to momentum
The entire team deserve recognition for their collective commitment to defending. Arsenal’s structure and organisation have provided the foundation for their excellent form, allowing them to maintain a high level of consistency across competitions. The back line has shown understanding and composure, while the midfield press has limited opponents’ chances. If this level continues, the Gunners could be on course to set new defensive records by the end of the campaign. This consistency has given supporters confidence and belief in the direction of the team.
This season The Gunners really are looking like Champions huh?
Benjamin Kenneth
__________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
What this team has done, to me at least, is make me appreciate defense a lot more.
Yes, everyone wants to see goals including me, but watching these guys defend is something amazing to watch. The passion for the defense is there to see. When Gabriel makes a block, he celebrates and gets the crowd pumped as if he’s scored a goal. I love it!
Raya ‘s clean sheets can be down a lot to everyone in front of him including Cf who all track back and defend.
3 shots on target in last 6 games or so also means not much for Raya to do yet he gets the credit
However he has made some great saves including including season which also gives the rest of the team confidence
Whole team have to keep up this energy for 90 mins every match .. need some of the inured players back to ensure those currently starting don’t get too fatigued
Let’s go again at Sunderland and keep at least 6 point lead going into Intnl break
COYG !
There are also things Raya does that contribute to him facing fewer shots. Many times he rushes out from his box to sweep up and stop counter attacks,when our defenders are caught up higher up the pitch. He gets to the ball before the attackers can get an opportunity to shoot.
Secondly, his ability to claim crosses is incredibly. This ability to command his box and gather crosses means the attackers won’t get the chance to shoot from said crosses. If he wasn’t that great at gathering them, he’d be facing more shots.
His ability on the ball isn’t appreciated enough in my opinion. Lots of our attacks start with him.
Very well said Onyango