Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has admitted his side must sharpen up their second-half display despite holding on for a 2-1 Champions League victory away at Slavia Prague on Wednesday night. First-half strikes from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres put the Gunners in control before the Czech hosts mounted a late fightback at the Fortuna Arena.
Raya warned his team-mates that they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas after surviving five minutes of stoppage time in the Czech capital on Matchday 4. Up at the other end of the pitch, 28-year-old Sweden striker Gyokeres seized his chance on his sixth start of the season as one of six changes alongside Ben White, Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze. After setting up Madueke's ninth-minute opener and watching Tomas Holes poke wide, Gyokeres combined with Merino in the 38th minute to clip home off the far post.
That effort marked Gyokeres' first Champions League goal from open play since January against Kairat Almaty, while his only prior strike this season came in the Carabao Cup loss at Fleetwood, where teenager Max Dowman was sent off before making a late cameo on Wednesday. Although home keeper Nazar Domchak made several stops, including denying Madueke after link-up play involving Declan Rice and fit-again Christos Tzolis, Slavia registered 17 shots after the break.
Speaking to TNT Sports afterwards, Raya assessed the contrasting halves: "First half, we played really well, dominating the whole game and creating a lot of chances. I think we could have scored a few more goals. The second half was completely different, especially from them. They went up a gear. We were a little bit surprised and they made it really difficult for us. We need to learn from that. Delighted with the win, but a lot to improve going forwards."
On what changed after the break, he added: "They started pressing a little bit higher with a little bit more intensity. We had too many giveaways, especially in the final third, which meant we were running back towards our goal. We have to manage and dominate those actions and keep the ball to go for the third, fourth and fifth goals."
After Gabriel Magalhaes cleared substitute Ange N'Guessan's header off the line and VAR ruled Merino's challenge with Wiktor Nowak an accidental clash of heads, Raya pushed Oskar Kubiak's header onto the post before Nowak converted David Jurasek's 90th-minute cross.
Reflecting on his save at 2-0, Raya concluded: "It was really close, it was very similar to the last one against Bayern. I'm delighted to help the team that way. I'm just trying to do my job in the best way possible and keep clean sheets because we know that helps you to win a lot of games."
Claiming all three points lifted the reigning English champions up to third place in the Champions League table with 10 points from four outings. Fresh from edging Liverpool 1-0 last weekend and winning in Prague, Mikel Arteta's Premier League leaders now turn their focus back to domestic duties ahead of the November international break. The Gunners will welcome Hull City to north London on Saturday, November 7, for their Matchday 10 top-flight clash.
