Connect with us
Arsenal Thrash Slavia Prague 3-0

Arsenal Thrash Slavia Prague 3-0, Equal 122-Year Clean Sheet Record, Debut Youngest UCL Player

More Videos

Published

on

Arsenal Thrash Slavia Prague 3-0, Equal 122-Year Clean Sheet Record, Debut Youngest UCL Player—-Arsenal equalled a 122-year-old club record of eight successive games in all competitions without conceding a goal as they swept past Slavia Prague 3-0 on Tuesday to go top of the Champions League with four wins out of four.
Mikel Merino, replacing injured striker Viktor Gyokeres as a makeshift forward, scored twice in the second half after England winger Saka had put the Premier League leaders ahead in the 32nd minute.
Arsenal, who brought on 15-year-old Max Dowman in the second half to become the youngest-ever player in the Champions League, have now also won their last 10 games in a row and looked unstoppable at the Fortuna Arena.
The only threat to the eighth successive clean sheet, and a record dating back to 1903, came late in the game when VAR overruled a penalty decision on a Ben White challenge.
Otherwise goalkeeper David Raya spent much of the match as a spectator, watching Arsenal make light of injury absences with another assured display.

DOMINATED THE DEFENSIVE PART

“Emotionally I think we handled it very well. It shows the consistency we have, we dominated the defensive part of the game against a team that is very difficult to play against,” said manager Mikel Arteta.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
“Tonight we made four changes from the weekend and they all performed really well. Overall a really productive evening.”
Saka’s spot kick, the ball drilled to the bottom corner with Jakub Markovic unable to reach it despite diving the right way, calmed nerves after an aggressive and high-pressing start by the home side.
The penalty was given, harshly to some onlookers, after Gabriel’s header hit Slavia captain Lukas Provod’s raised hand and a VAR review confirmed the handball.
Arsenal ended the half with five shots on target, four from Saka, and 63% of the possession.
Merino made it 2-0 on the volley, 36 seconds after the start of the second half, from a cross by the unmarked Leandro Trossard.
The Spanish midfielder then put Arsenal 3-0 ahead in the 68th with a header flicked past goalkeeper Jakub Markovic after Declan Rice lofted the ball into the area.
Trossard came off and was replaced by Dowman, at 15 years and 308 days old taking a record previously set by Youssoufa Moukoko at 16 years and 18 days with Borussia Dortmund in 2020.
“It doesn’t get any harder than this competition and Max at 15 straight away looked to take people on and win free kicks,” said Arteta.
“We have a massive player there.”
Slavia are still without a win in the league phase and remain on two points.
“We knew that it would be a very difficult game for us but at the beginning it was good. We were defending very well but after the opening goal it was much easier for Arsenal,” Provod told UEFA.com.

Facebook 0 Twitter 0 LinkedIn WhatsApp 0Shares

Sports

BREAKING: Vinícius Rescues Brazil as Morocco Hold Selecao to Thrilling World Cup Opener

Published

on

BREAKING: Vinícius Rescues Brazil as Morocco Hold Selecao to Thrilling World Cup Opener—-Morocco stunned the five-time champions with an early breakthrough before Vinícius Júnior’s moment of brilliance earned Brazil a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Group C.

Brazil were forced to settle for a point in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a spirited Morocco side held the South American giants to a 1-1 draw in a captivating Group C encounter at MetLife Stadium.

The Atlas Lions struck first in the 21st minute when Ismael Saibari latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Brahim Díaz before calmly lifting the ball over goalkeeper Alisson Becker to give Morocco a deserved lead. The African side’s intensity and organization troubled Brazil throughout the opening stages.

Brazil responded through their star man Vinícius Júnior, who produced a moment of individual brilliance in the 32nd minute. The Real Madrid winger drove into the box and unleashed a powerful finish beyond Yassine Bounou to restore parity and ignite the Brazilian supporters.

Despite enjoying more possession after the break, Brazil struggled to break down a disciplined Moroccan defence. Morocco, meanwhile, continued to threaten on the counterattack and arguably created the clearer opportunities in the closing stages.

The result leaves Group C finely poised, with both teams earning a valuable point in what was billed as one of the most anticipated fixtures of the opening round. While Brazil avoided an early setback thanks to Vinícius’ heroics, Morocco once again demonstrated why they remain one of the most dangerous sides on the international stage.

Facebook 0 Twitter 0 LinkedIn WhatsApp 0Shares
Continue Reading

Sports

BREAKING: PSG Retain Champions League Title After Penalty Shootout Victory Over Arsenal

Published

on

BREAKING: PSG Retain Champions League Title After Penalty Shootout Victory Over Arsenal—-French champions edge Gunners 4-3 on penalties in Budapest to secure back-to-back European crowns.

Paris Saint-Germain successfully defended their UEFA Champions League title after defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the final at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna. PSG became only the second club in the modern Champions League era to retain the trophy in successive seasons.

Arsenal made the perfect start to the final when Kai Havertz fired the Premier League champions into an early lead in the sixth minute, giving Mikel Arteta’s side hope of winning the club’s first-ever Champions League title.

The holders responded in the second half, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé converting a penalty in the 65th minute after a foul on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, bringing PSG level and setting up a tense finish.

Neither side could find a winner during the remainder of normal time or extra time, forcing the final into a dramatic penalty shootout. PSG held their nerve from the spot, while Arsenal defender Gabriel missed the decisive penalty, blasting his effort over the crossbar.

The victory caps another remarkable European campaign for Luis Enrique’s side, who reached the final after eliminating FC Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and entered the showpiece as defending champions.

For Arsenal, the defeat is a heartbreaking end to an otherwise historic season. Arteta’s men arrived in Budapest having won their first Premier League title in 22 years and reached their first Champions League final since 2006, but they fell just short of completing a memorable double.

PSG’s triumph further cements their place among Europe’s elite, while Arsenal will be left to reflect on a campaign that brought domestic glory but ended in European heartbreak.

Facebook 0 Twitter 0 LinkedIn WhatsApp 0Shares
Continue Reading

Trending

Facebook 0 Twitter 0 LinkedIn WhatsApp 0Shares