Arteta criticises 'sloppy' second half as Arsenal edge Slavia Prague 2-1 in Champions League

Arsenal left Prague with three points but without much comfort, as a dominant first-half display gave way to a nervy second period that ended with Wiktor Nowak’s stoppage-time goal threatening to spoil the result. Noni Madueke opened the scoring after nine minutes, and Victor Gyokeres added a stylish second before the break, but the Gunners were unable to build on that platform after half-time.

Gabriel was forced to clear headers off the goal-line twice in the second half, and David Raya produced a crucial save from Oskar Kubiak before Nowak eventually converted David Jurasek’s cross in the final minute to make it 2-1. Arsenal survived the subsequent stoppage time, but Mikel Arteta made clear he was unhappy with what he had witnessed.

“Two very different halves,” the Arsenal manager said. “The first one, I think we played at a really high level, exceptional at times. The scoreline should have reflected three or four goals. The second half we were on the back foot, very sloppy. We gave so many balls away, so many bad clearances, we didn’t keep the ball or the structure at all. Then you have to suffer because the teams in the Champions League are really good, so there’s a lot to learn.”

Goalkeeper Raya echoed his manager’s assessment, admitting the team were caught off guard by Slavia Prague’s increased intensity after the interval.

“In the first half we played really, really well — we dominated the whole game, creating a lot of chances,” Raya said. “Then in the second half it was a completely different story, especially from them. I think they went up a gear and we were a little bit surprised. We had too many giveaways, especially in the final third. We have to manage those situations better, dominate those actions, keep the ball and go for the third, fourth and fifth goals.”

The result moves Arsenal up to third in the Champions League table, with three wins from four group-stage matches. Despite the positives in the standings, Arteta’s post-match tone suggested he views the second-half capitulation as a warning that cannot be ignored as the competition progresses.