Arsenal travel to the Fortuna Arena on Wednesday 4 November (8pm UK) for matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase. They face a Slavia side that has won none of its last 22 main-phase games.
Arsenal are 7th with seven points. They are the reigning Premier League champions and lost last season’s final to PSG on penalties. A win keeps them on track for a top-eight finish, and with Dortmund, Real Madrid, Betis and Sabah still to come, they cannot afford to drop points here. Slavia are 32nd with one point, having scored 4 and conceded 7. Their remaining games are Villarreal at home, Bayern and Porto away, and Aston Villa at home, so they need points soon to stay in the top 24.
Arsenal won 1-0 at Napoli, beat Lille 3-0 and drew 2-2 at Bayern. In the league they have won four in a row since a 3-0 loss at Brighton, with the latest win coming at Anfield on Sunday. The one blemish was a penalty shootout loss to League Two Fleetwood in the EFL Cup.
Slavia lost 3-2 at home to Lens after conceding in stoppage time and playing most of the second half with ten men. They lost 2-0 at Sabah, then came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Fenerbahçe. They are top of the Czech league with 27 points from 11, but their domestic opposition is much weaker than what Arsenal have faced.
Slavia are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1. They are aggressive at home, but they have been vulnerable late in games. Arsenal’s likely 4-2-3-1 is Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapié; Rice, Guimarães; Madueke, Ødegaard, Eze; Gyökeres. Slavia’s wing-backs will have to decide whether to press high or sit deep. If they press, Arsenal can find space behind them, and Ødegaard and Eze can look for pockets between Slavia’s midfield and back three. Slavia’s main threat is Danijel Šturm, who has two goals and nine chances created in 242 minutes.
Arsenal will be without Bukayo Saka, who is out until at least December, and William Saliba, so Ezri Konsa should partner Gabriel. Max Dowman is available for European games after the first game of his domestic ban. With a three-day turnaround after Anfield and a trip of about 1,000 km, rotation is possible. Slavia are missing Ouanda and Pitak, and Schranz is a doubt through illness. Provod and N’Guessan have fitness concerns, and Slavia are also reported to be without last season’s top scorer.
Arsenal are unbeaten in five meetings (W3 D2), and Slavia have not scored in any of their three home games against them. The last meeting was a 3-0 Arsenal win in Prague in November 2025, with a Saka penalty and a Merino brace. Afterwards, Slavia captain Provod complained about Arsenal’s set-piece preparation, a reminder of one of their main weapons.
Arsenal win, high confidence. Predicted score: Slavia Praha 0-2 Arsenal. Bookmakers make Arsenal 1/4 favourites, with the draw at 11/2 and Slavia at 9/1. The risks are rotation, a flat final third without Saka, and Slavia’s second-half goals. If Slavia score first, 1-1 is the realistic alternative. Eze (two goals from nine shots this season) is Arsenal’s X-factor and Šturm is Slavia’s.
Sources: TNT Sports, Football Whispers, The Stats Zone, Mr Fixit’s Tips, Squawka, UEFA.com, Flashscore, Evening Standard.
