| Arsenal vs Slavia | |
| MATCH | UEFA |
| DATE | 05 - 11 - 2026 |
| TIME | 01.30 PM IST |
| STADIUM | Fortuna Arena |
Slavia Prague vs Arsenal: Match Preview, Team News and Prediction
Match Preview
Arsenal will be aiming to strengthen their position in the UEFA Champions League when they travel to the Czech Republic to face Slavia Prague on Wednesday.
The Gunners arrive in Prague following an impressive run of form, having collected seven points from their opening three Champions League matches.
Mikel Arteta's side began their European campaign with victories over Lille and Napoli, keeping clean sheets in both encounters. However, their defensive record was finally tested on matchday three when they travelled to Bayern Munich.
Arsenal produced an entertaining performance against the German champions, eventually securing a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
The four-goal encounter marked only the second time Arsenal had scored first, fallen behind and still avoided defeat in a European Cup or Champions League fixture. Remarkably, their previous occurrence of this achievement also came against Bayern Munich in 2024.
Although their impressive 14-match winning streak in the Champions League league phase has now ended, Arsenal remain among the top eight teams in the standings.
Their two goals conceded also leave them among the competition's strongest defensive sides, alongside Stuttgart and PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal's European campaign has been complemented by an excellent domestic run. Following their disappointing EFL Cup elimination against Fleetwood Town, Arteta's side responded with an impressive 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The result marked Arsenal's first Premier League away victory against Liverpool in 14 years and moved them three points clear at the top of the standings.
The Gunners will now be hoping to carry that momentum into their European encounter against Slavia Prague.
Slavia, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their encouraging recent performances after finally collecting their first Champions League point of the campaign.
The Czech champions began their European campaign with consecutive defeats against Lens and Sabah, leaving them under pressure ahead of their trip to Fenerbahce.
They appeared to be heading towards another disappointing result after conceding twice inside the opening 11 minutes against the Turkish side.
However, Slavia showed considerable determination to fight back, with Lukas Provod reducing the deficit before Pavel Kacor scored a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw.
Although the result was not enough to lift them out of the Champions League's automatic elimination places, it provided a much-needed boost to their confidence.
Slavia currently sit 32nd in the 36-team standings, having collected just one point from their opening three fixtures.
Despite their struggles in Europe, Jindrich Trpisovsky's side have been in impressive domestic form.
They have now gone five matches unbeaten across all competitions and recorded consecutive victories, including a commanding 5-0 triumph over Jablonec.
That result helped them maintain a seven-point advantage at the top of the Czech First League standings.
However, Slavia face a difficult challenge against an Arsenal side that has enjoyed considerable success in previous meetings between the clubs.
The Gunners defeated Slavia 3-0 in the 2025-26 Champions League league phase and have never lost against the Czech outfit in their previous five encounters.
Arsenal also recorded a memorable 7-0 victory over Slavia in 2007, which remains one of their biggest wins in European competition.
With Arsenal targeting another important European victory and Slavia hoping to improve their position in the standings, Wednesday's encounter promises to be a competitive contest.
Team News
Slavia Prague
Slavia Prague have several fitness concerns ahead of their meeting with Arsenal.
Experienced winger Ivan Schranz has been struggling with illness for several weeks and remains a doubt for the encounter.
Attacking midfielder Lukas Provod is also a concern after missing the 5-0 victory over Jablonec.
Defender Ange N'Guessan is another doubt after being forced off with an unspecified injury during the same fixture.
Slavia will also be without striker Tomas Chory, who has been suspended internally by manager Trpisovsky following an incident involving a referee during a recent Czech First League match against Hradec Kralove.
The Czech side will be hoping their available attacking players can continue their recent scoring form against Arsenal's highly organised defence.
Arsenal
Arsenal have received several encouraging injury updates ahead of their trip to Prague.
Christos Tzolis, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori have all recovered from recent fitness concerns and travelled with the squad for the match.
William Saliba has also made the trip, providing a potential boost to Arsenal's defensive options.
However, Bukayo Saka remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a quadriceps injury.
Eberechi Eze is another concern after Arteta revealed that the England international is dealing with an unspecified fitness problem.
Max Dowman, who is serving a three-match domestic suspension, is available for European selection and could be considered for a starting position.
With several players returning from injury and others still managing fitness issues, Arteta could make a number of changes to his starting lineup.
Dowman may be particularly well placed to feature if Eze remains unavailable and Madueke is not considered ready to start.
Match Outlook
Slavia Prague will be hoping to use their home advantage and recent domestic form to challenge Arsenal.
The Czech champions have demonstrated considerable attacking quality in recent weeks, but their defensive weaknesses in Europe could be exposed by the Gunners' impressive attacking options.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will be determined to maintain their unbeaten Champions League campaign and strengthen their position in the top eight.