Mikel Arteta’s telling touchline reaction as Arsenal equal 122-year club record in style

Arsenal equalled a 122-year club record with their eighth successive clean sheet, with Mikel Arteta’s side beating Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League

If a striker’s only job is to score goals, then Mikel Merino continues to prove himself. The Spaniard, for the second season running, filled in at the tip of the Arsenal spear to help Arsenal on their way to a fourth straight Champions League victory, this time over Slavia Prague.

The game was again won without conceding a goal for the eighth successive match and they have now equalled a record set 122 years ago in 1903. Yet were it not for referee Aliyar Aghayev being sent to the VAR screen to reconsider his decision to award a Slavia Prague penalty, that great accolade would have fallen.

Arteta stood in applause on the touchline at the referee running over the screen, clearly very keen to ensure his side’s pristine defensive stature continued.

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September 28th was the last time that Mikel Arteta’s side allowed a team to score, and it was not until the final seconds of the game that the opponents finally managed their only shot on target in the game.

Arsenal have suffered a growing injury scenario, which meant travelling to Prague without their three recognised senior centre-forwards.

The hope is that both Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz will return after the international break for the North London Derby. But for this trip, Merino answered the questions which had arisen following a tricky reintroduction to the role at Burnley.

On Tuesday might, it looked for a time like Arsenal might come unstuck in the Czech capital after some sloppy passes and aggressive play from their opponents.

The two sides traded opening shots inside the first minutes to set up the open game that would follow. Gabriel Magalhaes volleyed wide while Lukas Provod dragged a low drive to the left of David Raya’s right post.

Bukayo Saka had five attempts in the first half, the same number of shots as the entire Slavia Prague side would have in the same period.

The winger scored the opener from the penalty spot after Provod was deemed to have handled the ball in the box while defending a headed shot by Gabriel from a corner.

Mikel Merino settled any nerves that might have been present during half-time with a goal just 35 seconds into the second period, before heading in his second twenty minutes later.

Declan Rice would have a hand in both the Spaniard’s goals. Finding Leandro Trossard, whose left-footed cross was executed to perfection to find Merino before the England midfielder’s looped ball was flicked backwards in as much of an unorthodox way as his role was on the night.

The night would be capped off by Max Dowman coming off the bench to become the youngest ever Champions League appearance maker at 15 years and 308 days.

Four games in Europe and four wins as the inevitable Arsenal continued to a tenth straight victory in all competitions.

To think who Arteta is about to welcome back, the potential ceiling of this group in itself should be a message to the rest of the continent of just how good this team is.

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