Mikel Merino struck twice in the second half as Arsenal continued their perfect Champions League campaign with a commanding 3-0 win over Slavia Prague at the Fortuna Arena.
With first choice striker Viktor Gyokeres sidelined by injury and Gabriel Martinelli also unavailable, manager Mikel Arteta deployed Merino as a makeshift centre forward.
The Spain international responded with a sharp performance that kept Arsenal three points clear at the top of the 36 team standings.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after Slavia captain Lukas Provod handled the ball while defending a corner.
Arsenal had dominated possession throughout the first half but were made to wait for their breakthrough.
Any hopes of a Slavia comeback disappeared almost instantly after the interval. Within 35 seconds of the restart, Merino turned in Leandro Trossard’s low cross to record Arsenal’s quickest second half goal in their Champions League history.
The hosts struggled to cope with Arsenal’s fluid movement and tempo.
Declan Rice added further control in midfield and it was his floated cross in the 68th minute that found Merino, who rose above Jakub Markovic to guide a precise header into the net for his second of the night.
Provod briefly thought he had earned a penalty late on after going down under minimal contact, but a video review overturned the decision.
That ensured Arsenal maintained their unblemished defensive record in Europe this season, having yet to concede a goal.
The result leaves Arteta’s side firmly in control of their group with four wins from four. Slavia Prague, who have managed only one point, now face an uphill task to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.
