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Arsenal v Slavia Prague

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  • Arsenal v Slavia Prague

    Arsenal v Slavia Prague

    Champions League, Group H match
    Date: Tuesday, 23 October
    Kick-off: 1945 BST
    Venue: Emirates Stadium
    Listen: BBC Radio 5live
    Updates: BBC Sport website and mobile; Score on BBCi (1930 BST)


    Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be tempted to give winger Theo Walcott his first start in the Champions League.
    The 18-year-old put in a dazzling performance as a second-half substitute in Saturday's victory over Bolton.

    Tomas Rosicky is also in contention to start after a hamstring injury but Robin van Persie (knee) and Philippe Senderos (back) are still out.
    Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer and defenders Martin Latka and Erich Brabec are missing for Slavia.

    Interview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger



    Arsenal (from): Almunia, Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Diaby, Adebayor, Eduardo, Eboue, Walcott, Gilberto, Rosicky, Bendtner, Denilson.

    Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
    "If we win 90% of the work is done. It is a good mental test because we will see how we cope when we are favourites.
    "Sometimes the games that look easy at the start turn out to be the hardest. That is what we learned from last season.

    "It is a tricky tie. We are the favourites but the Champions League doesn't work like that.

    "We had problems beating Steaua Bucharest. We had to dig very deep and they have beaten Steaua and scored two goals at Sevilla.

    "If we are not focused we will have big problems with them."


    BIG MATCH STATS

    Head-to-heads
    Arsenal and Slavia Prague have never met before in European competition. However, Arsenal have played Sparta Prague on six occasions, winning all six matches; Slavia have played English opposition on four occasions, winning once.


    European history Arsenal are making their 10th successive appearance in the CL main competition.

    Slavia Prague and Sevilla FC are the only debutants in the Champions League this season. Slavia are the second Czech club to reach the Champions League. Sparta Prague previously made seven appearances.


    Current European form Arsenal have made a great start in Group H, winning the first two matches without conceding a goal. They are undefeated in their last 15 CL home matches, and have not lost in front of their home supporters in the competition since 6 April 2004 (1-2 to Chelsea).

    Including CL qualifying, Slavia have played six matches in European competition this season, recording three wins, two draws and one defeat.


    Player and disciplinary info Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) and Ladislav Volesak (Slavia Prague) will be suspended if they receive another yellow card.

    Jens Lehmann is Arsenal's most experienced player in the Champions league with 57 matches, and Tomas Rosicky is the Gunners' most productive player, having scored eight career CL goals. The Czech midfielder started his career in Prague with Slavia's rivals Sparta.

    Vladimir Smicer is the only Slavia player with CL experience before this season. The veteran striker has made 25 appearances in the CL for RC Lens (six) and Liverpool (19) scoring four goals. One of these goals came in the 2005 final against AC Milan when he helped Liverpool win the Champions League.


    Other miscellaneous facts
    Arsenal beat Bolton 2-0 on Saturday to remain top of the Premier League. Slavia Prague beat Viktoria Plzen 3-0 on Friday in the Czech domestic league. After ten matches, Slavia are top of their league with 25 points.

    All four teams drawn into Group H have reached the group phase via the qualifying stages. Group H is the only group solely made up of qualifiers.


    Definitions of terms used:- Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992-93.

    Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955-56 including qualification matches.

    European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
    Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded
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