Jindrich Trpisovsky has a big task in front of him in the UEFA Champions League after collecting only two points so far in their three games. With Slavia Praha currently languishing in 28th position, the immediate target for the Czech side would be to break into the top 24 and keep their hopes alive to make it to the playoffs, although the job does not get any easier with Arsenal visiting them next.
Looking at their next fixtures, it does seem like a daunting task in front of Trpisovsky considering they will play Arsenal next, while their four games after this include opposition like Athletic Club, Tottenham, and Barcelona. Hence, they are not the favourites to make it to the top 24, where there are some high-level teams, such as Napoli, vying to climb up.
Heading into Tuesday’s kick-off against Arsenal, Slavia Praha are on a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions that includes a goalless draw against Atalanta away from home. However, they have only managed to collect two points, with the other one coming in their opening fixture against Bodo/Glimt, while they have also lost to Inter Milan, also away in Italy.
Meanwhile, Arsenal continued their relentless form in the Premier League with a 2-0 away win at Burnley. Goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice in the first half proved enough to secure the points and retain their place at the top of the league standings, as Mikel Arteta’s side currently leads second-placed Manchester City by six points.
The result also ensured Arteta’s side kept a clean sheet in a seventh consecutive game across all competitions, as they are also barely conceding chances or shots on target. The win also extended their unbeaten run to 12 games, and they have conceded only 3 goals so far across all fronts.
In the Champions League, Arsenal have a 100 per cent record so far, after recording a stellar win over Atletico Madrid with a 4-0 scoreline at the Emirates the last time out. So far, the Gunners have not conceded a single goal in he competition, and that might continue as they aim for another victory away in Prague, with Arteta likely to want to keep another clean sheet in the process.
Jindrich Trpisovsky must contend with a huge injury list ahead of his team hosting Arsenal on home soil. Slavia Praha are currently without Ivan Schranz, Filip Horsky, Petr Sevcik, Dominik Javorcek, Tomas Holes, Igoh Ogbu, and captain Jan Boril are all out of contention, which will hurt their chances of a result against Arsenal.
The Slavia Praha manager is widely expected to keep a back three in place, with Tomas Vlcek, David Zima and Jan Boril set to feature there. David Moses and Youssoupha Mbodji are set to feature in the wing-back roles, with Christos Zafiris and Oscar Dorley set to manage the midfield setup.
Vasil Kusej and Lukas Provod are the ones likely to play in the attacking roles behind central striker Tomas Chory, who will spearhead the Slavia Praha attack against Arsenal at the Fortuna Arena on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Markovic; Vlcek, Zima, Boril; Moses, Zaferis, Dorley, Mbodji; Kusej, Provod; Chory
Mikel Arteta’s injury problems keep increasing, although the Arsenal boss has managed the fitness of his players quite well with decent rotation and load management. The game against Burnley saw Arsenal suffer two fresh problems as Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi suffered niggles, and the extent of the problem is yet to become clearer.
The duo might miss out on the trip to Prague altogether as Arteta will not risk their fitness, given Arsenal have good enough squad depth. Moreover, Zubimendi is suspended for this trip after picking up a yellow in the previous clash. They certainly do not have a like-for-like replacement behind for Gyokeres, although Mikel Merino is good enough to deputise for him.
Arteta will be without skipper Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke as they are out for quite a while. Gabriel Martinelli is also not expected to recover from a problem he suffered against Crystal Palace, meaning there will be a bit of load on stars like Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to keep the momentum going.
Arteta is widely expected to name a strong lineup in a bid to get a win in another Champions League clash. However, the manager would want the win wrapped up early to relieve a few of his key stars off the pitch and allow those who need minutes under their belt. However, there could be some rotations wherever possible.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Ben White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Merino
The Arsenal stand-in skipper has been a bit below par in his displays and even missed a couple of good chances against Burnley. The star attacker is yet to come into his full stride this season, and that is probably the only thing missing from this Arsenal side in terms of being fully relentless on the pitch.
Hence, Saka is due a performance where he is the main man on the pitch, and this trip to Prague could be a good opportunity for him to showcase that. The Gunners need the best out of their star winger heading into the crucial period after the international break, and that period could even see competition for places increased within the squad.
Slavia Praha are on a six-game unbeaten run, including a draw in a UEFA Champions League away game at Atalanta. While their manager would want to bring the comestic momentum into the European front, the task in front of them is a big one, considering how formidable Arsenal have been this season.
Mikel Arteta will certainly want to return to London with three points in the bag and probably even another clean sheet. The Gunners are primed to get both those things. The quality on board at Arsenal will ensure they register a fourth consecutive win in the league phase, as well as shut out the home side to keep their place at the very top of the Champions League standings.
