Slavia Prague v Arsenal predictions: Goals expected in crucial clash for Gunners

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Slavia Prague v Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 8pm Thursday

Best bet

Both teams to score
2pts 10-11 bet365

Team news

Slavia Prague
The hosts are set to be without David Hovorka, Simon Deli and Abdallah Sima, who are all injured. Peter Olayinka is hoping to shake off a knock to feature. Onrej Kudela will serve the second of a ten-match Uefa suspension.

Arsenal
David Luiz and Kieran Tierney are sidelined but Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to be fit. Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang face late fitness tests.

Match preview

Arsenal will not need reminding how important the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie with Slavia Prague is to their season but even with so much riding on the contest, punters should avoid backing a Gunners win at the Eden Arena.

Consistency has eluded Arsenal all season - they have a mediocre W13 D6 L12 record in the Premier League - and a top-six finish looks beyond them this term.

Winning the Europa League is therefore their only realistic route into the Champions League next season but that is far from a foregone conclusion.

Mikel Arteta's men head to Prague on the back foot in their quarter-final tie with Slavia having grabbed a crucial away goal in the 93rd minute at the Emirates after Arsenal took the lead through Nicolas Pepe.

Tomas Holes's strike was the product of yet more sloppy Arsenal defending from a set piece and it was the seventh successive European game in which the Londoners have conceded.

The opponents they have shipped against - Rapid Vienna, Dundalk, Benfica and Olympiakos - are not exactly European heavyweights and it would be bold to suggest Arsenal will keep a clean sheet in Prague.

With that in mind, rather than dipping into the tough-to-call result market, punters should back both teams to score at a shade of odds-on.

While Arsenal remain vulnerable at the back, they have looked sharper in the final third of late, winning 3-0 at Sheffield United on Sunday.

That was against a side all but consigned to the drop but Arsenal have also managed to score at least twice in matches with Leeds, Benfica, Leicester, Olympiakos, Tottenham and West Ham since mid-February.

Despite their disappointing domestic campaign, Arteta's men have, in fact, failed to find the net in only four of their 16 away league games this season and, knowing they have to score in Prague to progress, they can be expected to operate on the front foot.

Arsenal's front line initially looked as though it might be weakened by the losses of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka for the second leg with Slavia but the pair are now expected to be available.

In both of Slavia Prague's Europa League knockout ties with Leicester and Rangers this season they drew the first leg before throwing everything at the second and coming out on top.

That may not be good news for Arsenal but it enhances the appeal of backing goals for both sides in Prague.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in seven of Arsenal's last ten games in all competitions.

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