Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that the team's performance in the second half did not meet expectations.

In a Champions League group stage match that just concluded, Arsenal narrowly defeated Slavia Prague 2-1 away from home. After the game, manager Mikel Arteta admitted that the team's performance in the second half did not meet expectations.

In the first half, Noni Madoueke and Victor Dzekeresh scored for Arsenal, giving them a two-goal lead. However, the game changed dramatically after the break. In the 90th minute, the home team pulled one back through Victor Novak and launched a counterattack, but Arsenal held on to hold on for the win until the final whistle.

Following this match, Arsenal completed a tough test with three consecutive away games in seven days. Including their previous matches against Fleetwood Town and Liverpool, the team has played 11 away games in their first 16 matches of the season, not only continuing to lead the Premier League but also rising to third place in the Champions League standings.

In a post-match interview, Arteta affirmed the result but stated that the team's performance in the first and second halves was vastly different: "I am satisfied with the result. Winning away games in the Champions League is always very difficult, especially considering we played three away games in the first four rounds."

"We played two completely different halves today. In the first half, the whole team showed a very high level of tactical skill, quality, and rhythm. The score could have been three, four, or even five goals ahead, but unfortunately we failed to extend the lead further."

Speaking about the team's passive and defensive situation in the second half, Arteta said, "The opponents were very aggressive, and as long as you give them space, they will create chaos."

“Our standards dropped at the start of the second half. We made serious mistakes in some fundamental aspects and lost our established tactical structure and discipline. When we started playing like that, we gave our opponents hope of a comeback, and we were subjected to more defensive pressure than expected.”

Finally, Arteta summarized: "We made six changes to the starting lineup in this match, which is quite a lot, especially considering the high density of away games. We can learn from the positive aspects of the game, but we must also face up to and correct the problems that were exposed."

Image source: Internet/Arsenal official website