Merino brace sends Arsenal past Slavia in Champions League
Mikel Merino's two second-half goals helped Arsenal to a 3-0 win at Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday, the Gunners' fourth in as many games in the competition.
For the Premier League leaders, the result also constituted a 10th straight win in all competitions and an eighth consecutive clean sheet.
Racking up our fourth win of the league phase 💪 pic.twitter.com/yjuUUkundl
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 4, 2025
They have now scored 11 goals and conceded none in the Champions League so far as they moved clear at the top of the standings.
The match also saw a moment of history as Arsenal's Max Dowman became the youngest-ever player in a Champions League game aged just 15 years and 309 days when he came onto the pitch in the 73rd minute.
15 years and 308 days old, the youngest player in Champions League history...
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 4, 2025
Max Dowman ✨ pic.twitter.com/b7ke7nuIab
Stand-in captain Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 32 minutes after Slavia captain Lukas Provod had handled the ball in the box clearing a corner.
It's bad news for Slavia Praha 👀
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 4, 2025
VAR spots a handball and it's a penalty to Arsenal 👇
📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/4uYPSybUIX
Merino made it 2-0 from a quick breakaway 30 seconds into the second half as he volleyed home at the near post after Leandro Trossard's superb pass found him unmarked in the Slavia box.
Saka x Mikel Merino 📸⚽
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 4, 2025
The Gunners are on their way to another three points in the Champions League 🙌
📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/uyqv4BbDEo
He then beat Slavia goalkeeper Jakub Markovic with a header from Declan Rice's cross on 68 minutes.
Merino was one of four changes made by Gunners coach Mikel Arteta against Arsenal's 2-0 league win at Burnley on Saturday.
The game got off to an eventful start as Gabriel Magalhaes blasted wide from outside the box and Provod followed suit at the other end inside the opening two minutes.
Any effort by Slavia to get close to the Arsenal goal stumbled on the Gunners' rock-solid defence, and the reigning Czech champions failed to produce a single shot on target during the match.
Arsenal were soon on the front foot, dominating possession and creating chances despite missing injured strikers Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli.
Saka alone had three shots on goal within eight minutes midway through the first half but was denied by Slavia's Markovic each time.
The goalkeeper also then stopped the Arsenal captain's low shot from inside the box on 60 minutes.
The loss leaves Slavia, the Czech top-flight leaders, with two points from four games in the Champions League.
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