New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Arsenal continued their unbeaten start in the Champions League after a 2-1 win over Slavia Prague at Fortuna Arena in their fourth match of the league stage, while Manchester City edged past RB Leipzig 3-2 to return back to the winning ways.
Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres scored for the Gunners, while Wiktor Nowak scored the only one for the hosts in the 90th minute. Mikel Arteta’s men were “very far from the standards” but did well enough to stay unbeaten in the league stage.
Arteta made six changes to the team that beat Liverpool as Gyokeres started at the front in place of Kai Havertz. The Swedish striker had a key role in the win, as he provided the assist to Madueke in the opening 10 minutes for Englishman to score in the ninth minute.
Gyokeres then found one of his own as he exchanged passes with Mikel Merino before nailing one into the back of the net in the 38th minute for a 2-0 lead.
The hosts did well in the second half by putting the pressure on the Arsenal defence and got one strike from close range by Nowak in the 90th minute.
Speaking after the win, manager Arteta conceded that the team were far from their standards. “This is a team that has huge spirit, huge conviction and if you give them something, they will grab it,” said Arteta after the game.
“We were extremely far from our standards. In everything we have to do in our basics, in every concept and in everything we discussed to avoid in the game we played in the second half.
“Very far from the standards we expect from each other, but we found a way to hold on to the result and win the game.”
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland produced a late winner to power Man City to a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig. City came into this match after losing two straight Premier League matches and beating Brighton on penalties in the Carabao Cup.
But they did enough to return to winning ways in the European tournament. Home defender Castello Lukeba slid Nico O’Reilly’s strike into the back of his own net to give City a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute. RB Leipzig pulled one back through Ridle Baku, who found Gianluigi Donnarumma’s near post before City restored their lead with an Enzo Fernandez header.
Antonio Nusa then brought the hosts back into the game with a 61st-minute equaliser; however, Haaland produced the winner in the 78th minute to take his side home in the end.
–IANS
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