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Morning all.
Match day again today with Arsenal travelling to the Czech Republic for a Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague. So far this campaign, Slavia have been beaten 3-0 by Inter Milan, drawn 2-2 against Bodo/Glimt in Prague and drawn their last match 0-0 in Italy against Atalanta.
I read this about Slavia, it was written prior to their last match against Atalanta:
* **Defensive Solidity:** Slavia will almost certainly set up in a compact and organized 4-2-3-1 formation. The key is the proximity between the lines. The defensive line and the midfield line will stay incredibly close together, forming a tight block that is difficult to penetrate. The two defensive midfielders in front of the back four act as a shield, screening passes and breaking up play. Their primary objective will be to deny the Atalanta creative players the space they need to operate between the lines.
* **The Art of the Counter-Attack:** This is where Slavia comes alive. They are masters of absorbing pressure. You’ll see them patiently holding their shape, inviting Atalanta to commit players forward. But the moment they intercept a pass or win a tackle, they explode. The transition is ruthlessly efficient. The ball is moved quickly to their pacey wingers, who will look to run at the exposed Atalanta defence. Their striker is adept at holding up the ball and bringing others into play, creating a multi-pronged threat on the break. This ability to strike with precision is a huge part of their game.
* **Set-Piece Prowess:** Don’t overlook this aspect of their game. Slavia are exceptionally well-drilled on set-pieces, both defensively and offensively. They have tall, physical players who are a major threat from corners and free-kicks. Given that this is expected to be a tight game, a single goal from a dead-ball situation could easily be the difference-maker.
As it turned out, Atalanta had 22 shots, _**5 on target**_, during the game and really should have won but as we know only too well, if a team can’t finish their chances, they don’t win matches. Slavia had 16 shots, _**4 on target**_, of their own.
In their last home game which as said, was against Bodo/Glimt, not only did they surrender a two goal lead but at 1-0, Bodo/Glimt missed a penalty. Honestly, having watched highlights of the game yesterday, I thought the Slavia defence looked shaky.
I’m not trying to suggest Slavia are a poor team or that we should win easily but just because they are the current champions of the Czech league, it doesn’t mean they are to be feared. Honestly, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Mikel Arteta ring a few changes for this game. Not to the extent we saw in the League Cup but 2, maybe 3.
Martin Zubimendi misses out tonight in any case as he’s suspended, a booking for Declan Rice would rule him out of our next fixture which is against Bayern so I certainly wouldn’t bet against him being rested tonight. There will be no Viktor Gyokeres so I wonder if Andre Harriman-Annous will make his first appearance in the Champions League. No Kepa either according to reports so Alexei Rojas has travelled to Prague along with Tommy Setford as backup to David Raya.
Anyway, enjoy the game guys, don’t forget it’s a 5-45pm kickoff for UK viewers..
Catch up in the comments.