Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night with Mikel Merino bagging a brace, but which Gunners players impressed during the victory over the Czech side?
20:06, 04 Nov 2025
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Mikel Merino (L) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SK Slavia Praha and Arsenal FC at Eden Arena on November 04, 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic
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Arsenal's golden vein of form has continued(Image: 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
Arsenal secured their fourth consecutive Champions League victory after defeating Slavia Prague, placing the north London team in a strong position with 12 points to their name.
Bukayo Saka initiated the scoring from the penalty spot, with referee Aliyar Aghayev ruling that Lukas Provod had handled the ball in the box. Mikel Merino netted the second just after the interval, giving the Gunners full command of the match.
The Spaniard added a third just over twenty minutes later, heading in backwards following a looping Declan Rice pass.
Late in the game, a penalty awarded to Slavia Prague was reversed upon review.
Here's howDaily Star Sport rated the performances of the Arsenal players...
Mikel Arteta
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Mikel Arteta's side have a 100 per cent record(Image: Getty Images)
David Raya, 6 - Had a shaky moment in the second half but recovered well. Only faced one shot on target throughout the match, reports Football London.
Jurrien Timber, 7 - Excellent defensive work early on to regain possession and initiate a counterattack, remained strong throughout the match.
William Saliba, 7 - Experienced a wobbly moment sliding in to win a challenge after a heavy touch but was solid for the rest of the clash.
Gabriel Magalhaes, 7 - Fired a speculative volley from outside the box just wide of the goal. Required treatment after sustaining a nasty cut above his right eye, but soon after headed the ball leading to the penalty decision.
Piero Hincapie, 6 - Struggled to find the right positions for his trademark cross from the left in the first half. However, he grew into the game and showcased some impressive skills to outmanoeuvre his opponent.
Christian Norgaard, 6 - Didn't particularly stand out, but given his struggles against Brighton last week, that's probably a good thing.
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SK Slavia Praha and Arsenal FC at Eden Arena on November 04, 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Bukayo Saka netted the first goal of the evening
Declan Rice, 8 - Almost scored directly from a corner, going near post and nearly catching Slavia Prague off guard. Crucial in both goals and delivered another top-notch performance.
Ethan Nwaneri, 6 - Earned a booking in the first half for cynically halting a counterattack. Had a few challenging moments among some nice interchanges, but couldn't deliver the final product.
Bukayo Saka, 7 - His shot from outside the box was deflected by Jakub Markovic. Despite further attempts on target being saved, he made up for the missed opportunities by coolly slotting home a penalty into the bottom right corner.
Mikel Merino, 8 - Offered little in the first half other than being a target for passes. However, just 35 seconds into the second half, his volleyed finish gave him a goal, followed by a beautifully executed backward header for Arsenal's third.
Leandro Trossard, 8 - As lively as ever, he posed a threat in the first half, with one of his shots blocked. He brilliantly converted a cross from Merino, who had cleverly beaten the offside trap, scoring skillfully.
Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SK Slavia Praha and Arsenal FC at Eden Arena on November 04, 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Mikel Merino scored twice against the Czech side
Substitutes:
Eberechi Eze, 5 - Entered the game in place of Nwaneri but struggled to advance the attack towards the end of the match.
Max Dowman, 6 - The 15-year-old made history as the youngest ever Champions League player when he replaced Leandro Trossard.
Ben White, 6 - Nearly conceded a penalty, but luckily the decision was reversed.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, 6 - Substituted in for Piero Hincapie and helped see out the game effectively.
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Andre Harriman-Annous, n/a - Came on too late to make an impact on the match. n/a.