Gyokeres silences doubters with assist and goal as Arsenal survive Prague scare

Viktor Gyokeres finally found his spark, delivering an assist and a stunning goal to help Arsenal secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague in the Champions League. The Mirror reported ^[1] that the Swedish striker was pivotal in the first half, silencing critics who have questioned his form since his big-money move from Sporting Lisbon.

The Premier League champions opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Noni Madueke latched onto a clever through ball from Gyokeres. According to The Guardian ^[2], Gyokeres showed composure and quality to chest down David Raya’s long ball and set up the England winger for an emphatic finish. This marked Gyokeres’ third assist in his last five appearances, a sign of growing confidence as he competes with Kai Havertz for the starting role.

Arsenal doubled their lead just before half-time when Gyokeres exchanged a neat one-two with Mikel Merino inside the box. The Independent noted ^[4] that the 28-year-old curled a brilliant shot into the far corner, his first Champions League goal from open play since January. The goal sparked an ecstatic reaction from manager Mikel Arteta, who jumped for joy on the touchline, showing unwavering faith in his striker despite previous struggles.

However, the second half became a nervous affair. Slavia Prague, who entered the match with a dismal record, surged forward after the break. The BBC reported ^[3] that Arsenal had to survive a late scare as Wiktor Nowak pulled one back for the hosts in injury time. The goal came after David Jurasek’s cross found Nowak at the far post, giving the Czech side hope and forcing Arsenal to defend desperately in stoppage time.

The defeat extended Slavia’s winless run in European competition to 23 games, equalling the longest streak in European Cup history set by AEK Athens and Steaua Bucharest, as detailed by The Guardian ^[2]. Despite the late drama, Arsenal maintained their unbeaten record in their last 10 away European trips and climbed to third in the Champions League table, keeping their title hopes alive as they chase the perfect-record leaders.

Arteta’s side now looks to build on this result, having rotated heavily with six changes from the squad that beat Liverpool. With Gabriel Magalhaes making crucial goal-line clearances and David Raya producing key saves, Arsenal showed resilience rather than flair. The focus now shifts to domestic duties, but the growth in the Champions League is clear, with Arsenal aiming to avoid the semi-final heartbreaks of recent years.