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Arsenal grabbed what felt like a defeat from the jaws of victory yet again, playing out a 1-1 draw against Slavia Prague on Thursday. The result sets up an intriguing second leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal, with the Czech side in possession of a crucial away goal scored in injury time.
The first half was a fairly drab affair with limited opportunities for both sides. Bukayo Saka ought to have given Arsenal the lead after running clean through but shot well wide of the goal.
The young English winger was Arsenal's only threat as he created a few dangerous situations with some excellent crosses. However, Slavia Prague held firm and went into the break with a 0-0 scoreline.
Willian nearly gave the Gunners the lead in the 49th minute, striking the post from a free-kick.
Arsenal really ought to have scored the opener after Alexandre Lacazette robbed Oscar Dorley of the ball in the middle of the park. The Frenchman ran clean through on goal but saw his chip over keeper Ondrej Kolar cannon off the crossbar.
Slavia Prague came close in the 76th minute, with Petr Sevcik dragging his shot wide after Cedric's clearance fell at his feet in the box. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nearly scored with his first touch, guiding a cross from Emile Smith-Rowe wide.
Arsenal finally got their goal in the 86th minute, with Nicolas Pepe latching onto Aubameyang's through-ball and dinking the ball over Kolar into the bottom corner. Slavia Prague weren't done though, and Tomas Holes stole in at the far post from a corner to score a crucial away goal for his side in injury time.
On that note, here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Arsenal's defence proves to be their undoing yet again
Mikel Arteta has now overseen 14 games without a clean sheet for Arsenal in all competitions. Yet, Slavia Prague were barely a threat for the Gunners backline on Thursday.
It points to a deeper malaise within the Arsenal squad as the defensive setup seems to work for a majority of games, only for the Gunners to go to sleep at vital moments.
That was the case once again on Thursday, as Cedric's pass to Gabriel resulted in a panicked clearance that went out from the corner.
The Portuguese defender, who had a great performance on the night, was culpable once more as Tomas Holes beat him at the far post to score.
Mikel Arteta does not seem to have any answers for the manner in which his side concede, and patience seems to be running out amongst the Arsenal faithful.
#2 Slavia Prague prove their credentials once more
Slavia Prague may have grabbed all the headlines for the wrong reasons against Rangers in their previous knockout tie, but the Czech side were on the right side of history this time.
Jindrich Trpisovsky has been dubbed the 'Czech Klopp' for his insistence on a high-pressing style of play. Despite notable absences in defence, the Slavia boss stuck to his guns. Arsenal did catch out Slavia a number of times, but the Czech side continued their high-octane press.
Even after conceding a late goal, most sides would have let their heads fall. There's a reason this side is unbeaten in 22 consecutive games. They pressed well into injury time, forced a corner and scored from it. Some would call it the traits of champions.
#3 Mikel Arteta's flaws come to haunt Arsenal
Mikel Arteta seems to have inherited Pep Guardiola's penchant for naming baffling lineups in crucial European ties. While there was merit in dropping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli would have thrived in the space left behind the Slavia defence.
This proved to be true once Arteta made his late substitutions once more. It was clear from the off that Slavia Prague were there for the taking with the right personnel. However, Arteta's stubborn streak resulted in his substitutes having under 15 minutes to affect the game.
Pepe, Aubameyang and Martinelli were a far greater threat than Saka, Lacazette and Willian, and it resulted in a great goal for Arsenal. If they had 30 minutes instead of 15, the tie would have been over.
It seems unlikely that Arteta may change his ways though, so expect the same in the second leg.
#4 Nicolas Pepe shines in Europe once more
It's no secret that Nicolas Pepe has looked far more comfortable in the UEFA Europa League than the Premier League for Arsenal. The Ivorian's first goals for the club came in the competition, where he's provided or scored the winner multiple times.
It nearly proved to be the case once again, with Pepe scoring a delightful goal to give Arsenal the lead. It was a move that played to his strengths - the pace to run behind the defence and the skill to dink the ball over the keeper.
What ought to have been the winner was undone by his teammates, but Pepe can walk away from his 15-minute cameo with his head held high. Perhaps his manager can give Arsenal's record signing more minutes in the second leg.
#5 Arsenal's season hangs by a thread
Tomas Holes' injury-time goal could very well be the spark that ends Mikel Arteta's time at Arsenal. The Gunners boss has asked for patience multiple times and, having won two trophies in his time at the club, has been afforded it.
Arsenal's position in the league is not in keeping with their stature as a club, nor the quality in their squad. Fourth place would need a miracle, with the Gunners even staring at missing out on the UEFA Europa League spots.
This competition is all that's left for Arteta to hang his hat on, and an exit to Slavia Prague would surely signal a death knell for his prospects. There's only so much 'trust the process' that the Arsenal fans can take.
The second leg is not just season-defining for Arsenal, but it may be career-defining for Mikel Arteta.
