Slavia Prague vs Arsenal – News and Probable Lineups

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the 2026-27 Champions League group stage continues as they prepare to face Slavia Prague, who are still in search of their first win in this year’s tournament at the Fortuna Arena this Wednesday evening.

The Gunners have secured seven points from the first nine available in the competition, whereas their Czech opponents have managed only one draw alongside two losses from their opening three matches.

Match overview

Arsenal, who were the only team in the Champions League not to concede a goal heading into matchday three, took on Bayern Munich, but their perfect defensive record was under threat after they held strong against Lille and Napoli in their initial fixtures.

Despite the threat, the Premier League champions held their own against the Bavarians and earned a hard-fought point in a thrilling 2-2 draw, a remarkable achievement given the circumstances.

This four-goal stalemate was only the second instance in which Arsenal managed to score first, go behind, and still avoid defeat in a European Cup/Champions League encounter, the first being the same scoreline against Bayern in 2024.

Although their record of 14 consecutive victories in the league stage may no longer be active, Arsenal remains firmly in the top eight of the standings, and their two goals conceded keeps them tied for the best defensive record in the tournament, alongside Stuttgart and PSV Eindhoven.

The ambitious quadruple has become a distant dream following their unexpected EFL Cup loss to Fleetwood Town, but head coach Mikel Arteta received the response he needed on Sunday, overseeing a much-anticipated Premier League win at Anfield.

Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool – their first in 14 years at Anfield – propels them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table, showcasing the gap between the reigning champions and their competitors.

Slavia Prague, who were also part of a dramatic four-goal draw in matchday three, finally got their first point in the Champions League by coming from behind to draw against Fenerbahce in Istanbul after being down 2-0.

Coached by Jindrich Trpisoxy, they initially faced a nightmarish start when Oguz Aydin and Mason Greenwood scored in the first 11 minutes, but Lukas Provod reduced the deficit swiftly, and Pavel Kacor’s last-minute goal secured a draw and ended their losing streak in Europe.

After suffering defeats to both Lens and Sabah in their first two matches, Slavia’s gritty draw against Fenerbahce was insufficient to lift them above the automatic elimination spots, currently sitting 32nd out of 36 teams after three matchdays.

Moreover, Slavia have now gone 18 consecutive UEFA fixtures without a win, which is coincidentally the same duration as Arsenal’s unbeaten European streak, excluding penalty shootouts. However, Trpisoxy’s team seems to be regaining their momentum at an opportune moment.

In fact, Slavia Prague is currently on a five-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, with back-to-back victories, the latest being a commanding 5-0 win against Jablonec that keeps them seven points clear at the top of the Czech First League table.

Despite this resurgence, the reigning national champions were handed a 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in their previous fixture in the 2025-26 group stage and have not prevailed in their last five matchups against the Gunners, who delivered a 7-0 thrashing to Slavia in 2007, their joint-biggest win in European competition.

Team News

Arsenal’s Christos Tzolis, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, and Riccardo Calafiori all overcame injury worries to travel to Anfield, but Bukayo Saka (quad) and William Saliba (back) are still sidelined.

Fresh concerns also arise with Eberechi Eze, as Arteta disclosed that the English midfielder is dealing with an unspecified fitness issue, although Max Dowman, who is serving a three-match domestic ban, is available for selection.

With Eze’s situation, Tzolis’s expedited return, and Madueke’s recent ankle problem, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dowman start on Wednesday evening, as Arteta is likely to tinker with his lineup.

On the other hand, Slavia has multiple injury issues to consider for Arsenal’s visit, particularly veteran winger Ivan Schranz, who has been suffering from illness for several weeks.

Key forward Lukas Provod also missed the recent 5-0 victory against Jablonec and is a doubt for this match, along with defender Ange N’Guessan, who exited the last game due to an undisclosed injury.

In addition to injuries, 6ft 7in striker Tomas Chory has been dismissed by Trpisoxy following an incident where he displayed a rude gesture to a referee in a recent Czech First League match against Hradec Kralove; he is not expected to represent the club again.

Slavia Prague probable starting XI:

Domchak; Vlcek, Holes, Winter; Solomon, Moses, Sadilek, Kubiak; Ayaoshi, Sturm; Nowak

Arsenal probable starting XI:

Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Dowman, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres

After Arsenal’s backup side’s struggle against the fourth-tier outfit in the EFL Cup, Arteta should avoid significant changes for this encounter against a Slavia team gaining momentum.

Nonetheless, the Czech champions have been vulnerable in Europe, conceding seven goals so far, suggesting that Arsenal could replicate their three-goal triumph from last season.