Slavia Prague vs Arsenal: 3 key battles as Gunners continue Champions League charge
Just 72 hours after downing Liverpool at Anfield, Arsenal travel to the Czech Republic to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
The Gunners, riding high from their historic victory on Merseyside, will be looking to get back to winning ways in Europe when they visit the Fortuna Arena for the second year running. Mikel Arteta's men were held by Bayern Munich at the Allianz in their last continental outing, so they will be eager to secure all three points on Wednesday night to ensure they don't slip out of the running for the top eight.
Difficult matches against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid come after the international break, so it's imperative that they emerge from Prague with a victory.
A sturdy Hull City await at the Emirates on Saturday, so Arteta must rotate heavily for this one. They should be capable of navigating their way past Slavia with a much-changed XI.
With that said, here are the key battles that we believe could be pivotal in dictating the outcome of the game in Prague.
Emmanuel Ayaosi vs Piero Hincapie
One position Arteta is certain to rotate in is at left-back. Riccardo Calafiori is enjoying an outstanding season, but everyone is aware of his physical fragility, and he needs to continue to be carefully managed.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has filled in for Piero Hincapie on the left-hand side of Arsenal's defence in recent weeks when Calafiori has needed a rest, and the 20-year-old has performed admirably in this role. However, Hincapie is the de facto back-up left-back and will almost certainly start in Prague.
The Ecuadorian will be tasked with dealing with Slavia's biggest threat, Emmanuel Ayaosi. The Czech giants will likely start in a 3-4-3 set-up, with Ayaosi as the right-sided forward. The Nigerian, who Slavia signed from fellow Czech side Karvina over the summer, has started the new season in electric form, netting five goals and providing four assists in 16 appearances so far.
He's a direct dribbler who is excellent at manipulating space to create shooting opportunities - Hincapie will need to tuck in slightly to deal with this threat.
Oskar Kubiak vs Max Dowman
Max Dowman is still suspended for Arsenal's next two league matches, and thus, Arteta may opt to give him minutes from the beginning in Prague, so that he doesn't go several weeks without playing. This selection would also provide Noni Madueke with some much-needed respite.
The 16-year-old will encounter Slavia's left-wing-back Oskar Kubiak. This indivdual battle could be pivotal given the way in which the Polish star operates.
Kubiak is the Czech team's offensive outlet down the left-hand side and will leave space defensively, which Dowman will need to exploit.
David Moses vs Martin Odegaard
While Arteta will likely ring the changes, Martin Odegaard may not be among those afforded a rest. The Norwegian is in exceptional form, and his presence in Arsenal's midfield at the moment is too great to cope without.
He will, however, have to evade the surveillance of Slavia's combative defensive midfielder, David Moses. The Nigerian sits at the base of Jindrich Tripsovsky's midfield, distributes the ball efficiently and looks to break up the opposition's attacks.
He will undoutedly be instructed to follow Odegaard across the pitch, and the Gunners' skipper will need to find a way of escaping this pressue to orchestrate Arsenal's attacks in the final third.
