Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal have plenty to learn after turning what looked like a comfortable Champions League victory over Slavia Prague into a nervy 2-1 win.
The Gunners were excellent during the opening 45 minutes, with Noni Madueke breaking the deadlock after nine minutes before Viktor Gyökeres doubled their advantage shortly before half-time.
Arsenal appeared firmly in control, but their level dropped dramatically after the interval as Slavia pushed for a way back into the contest.
Arteta unhappy with Arsenal performance in 2nd half
According to ESPN’s report of Arteta’s post-match comments to TNT Sports, the Arsenal manager was particularly frustrated by how his side lost control after producing such an impressive first half.
“Two very different halves,” Arteta 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.”
He added: “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.”
Slavia responded by putting Arsenal under sustained pressure. Gabriel was forced into important interventions near his own goal, while David Raya produced a superb save from Oskar Kubiak before Wiktor Nowak eventually pulled one back in the final minute.
Arsenal survived the late pressure to secure their third Champions League victory in four matches.
Gunners win exposes an issue Arteta will want fixed quickly
The result was positive, but the manner of the second half should concern Arteta.
According to Sky Sports’ match report, Slavia registered 17 shots after half-time compared with only one in the opening period, highlighting just how dramatically the contest changed.
For a team with genuine ambitions of winning the Champions League, learning how to manage games when energy levels fall will be crucial.
There were still major positives. Gyökeres produced a goal and an assist, while Arsenal showed enough resilience to survive a difficult spell away from home. The win also moved them onto 10 points from four Champions League matches.
But Arteta’s reaction makes sense. Arsenal escaped with the points this time; against stronger European opposition, surrendering that much control could prove far more costly.
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