Arsenal player ratings vs Slavia Prague: Merino masterstroke pays off with three 8/10s

Arsenal secured their fourth consecutive Champions League victory after defeating Slavia Prague 3-0, placing the North London team in a strong position with 12 points. Bukayo Saka initiated the scoring from the penalty spot, following referee Aliyar Aghayev's decision that Lukas Provod had handled the ball within the box. Mikel Merino scored the second goal shortly after half-time, solidifying the Gunners' dominance.

The Spaniard added a third goal just over twenty minutes later, heading in backwards after a looping Declan Rice ball. A late penalty awarded to Slavia Prague was overturned upon review.

Here are the player ratings for the Arsenal squad...

David Raya - Had a shaky moment in the second half but recovered well. Only faced one shot on target throughout the game. 6.

Jurrien Timber - Excellent defending early on to regain possession and initiate a counterattack, maintaining strength throughout the match. 7.

William Saliba - Experienced a nervy moment sliding in to win a challenge after a heavy touch but remained solid throughout the encounter. 7.

Gabriel Magalhaes - His speculative volley from outside the box narrowly missed the goal. He received treatment after sustaining a nasty cut above his right eye, but soon after, he headed the ball, leading to the penalty decision. 7.

Piero Hincapie - Struggled to find his usual positions for delivering crosses from the left in the first half, but grew into the game and demonstrated some impressive skills. 6.

Christian Norgaard - Not a standout performance, but an improvement on last week's struggles against Brighton. 6.

Declan Rice - Almost scored directly from a corner, nearly catching out Slavia Prague. Instrumental in both goals and delivered another top-notch performance. 8.

Ethan Nwaneri - Earned a booking in the first half for cynically halting a counterattack. Had a few challenging moments among some nice interchanges, but lacked the final product. 6.

Bukayo Saka - His long-range shot was saved by Jakub Markovic, as were several subsequent attempts. However, he made up for these missed opportunities by confidently slotting home a penalty. 7.

Mikel Merino - Offered little in the first half other than being a target for passes. But just 35 seconds into the second half, he volleyed home a goal and then beautifully headed in a backwards attempt for Arsenal's third. 8.

Leandro Trossard - As lively as ever, posing a threat in the first half with a blocked shot. Scored skilfully from a brilliant cross from Merino. 8.

Substitutes

Eberechi Eze - Entered the fray for Nwaneri but struggled to make a significant impact on the attack as the game drew to a close. 5.

Max Dowman - The 15-year-old made history by becoming the youngest ever Champions League player when he replaced Leandro Trossard. 6.

Ben White - Nearly conceded a penalty, but was relieved when the decision was reversed.

Myles Lewis-Skelly - Replaced Piero Hincapie and helped see out the game effectively. 6.

Andre Harriman-Annous - Came on too late to have any real influence on the match. n/a.