The Gunners thought they'd snatched victory in the first leg at the Emirates last week when Nicolas Pepe cooly finished a sharp counter-attack with less than five minutes remaining. However, with just seconds left in stoppage time, Tomas Holes stole in at the back post and powered a header into the roof of the net to take a 1-1 draw and a vital away goal back to Prague. A semi-final tie against either Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal awaits the winner of tonight's tie.
Arsenal's turbulent domestic campaign has left them with little hope of European football next season unless they are to win this competition. That remains a realistic possibility, though, having fallen on the favourable side of the draw, while a 3-0 victory against Sheffield United at the weekend will only have helped to boost spirits at the club. Further good news arrived in the form of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka both passing fitness tests. Follow all the action live below:
Slavia Prague vs Arsenal
- Slavia: Kolar, Bah, Holes, Zima, Boril, Hromada, Sevcik, Stanciu, Provod, Olayinka, Kuchta
- Arsenal: Leno, Mari, Holding, Chambers, Saka, Xhaka, Thomas, Ceballos, Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Pepe
Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:17 ,
Dylan Terry 17 min: NO GOAL.
Well, that took about three minutes but eventually the goal is ruled out.
Nicolas Pepe had a brilliant strike from the edge of the area tipped onto the post by Kolar. Smith Rowe was there to tap home the rebound into an empty net but he was deemed offside by the VAR.
It must have been tight.
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Slavia Prague 0-1 Arsenal (1-2 agg)
19:15 ,
Dylan Terry 14 min: GOAL! Arsenal have the lead and it's Emile Smith Rowe!
Long VAR check in process here as the Englishman may well have been offside...
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:14 ,
Dylan Terry Powerful image.
© Provided by The IndependentArsenal took the knee before the gameGetty Images
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:13 ,
Dylan Terry 13 min: The rain is pouring down in Prague. It's providing a real slick pitch but at the moment it's making it difficult for either side to find a way in behind.
Ceballos tries to slide Pepe in between the centre-back and right-back but it's cut out superbly through the sliding challenge of Zima.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:11 ,
Dylan Terry 11 min: Provod bursts through the middle of the pitch and Partey trips him over. Clear foul. Maybe slightly fortunate to avoid a yellow there.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:10 ,
Dylan Terry 10 min: Partey scoops a ball towards the back post and it reaches Lacazette who tries a header towards goal but it's blocked by Holes without him really knowing anything about it.
Lovely pass from Partey.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:09 ,
Dylan Terry 8 min: Arsenal yet to break the deadlock here but Manchester United have taken the lead after just six minutes at Old Trafford. Edinson Cavani with the goal there.
Slow start to this one though. Arsenal playing a very high line but Slavia do not seem to have the pace to exploit it in the early stages.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:06 ,
Dylan Terry 5 min: Boril and Olayinka link up well down the left-hand side, playing a neat one-two before the ball falls to Provod who tries a shot from the edge of the box but it's blocked.
Then a free-kick is given to Arsenal for an infringement.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:04 ,
Dylan Terry 3 min: Looks like Xhaka is at left-back again after playing there against Sheffield United at the weekend. Not a massive fan of that myself, but we'll see how it goes.
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Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:02 ,
Dylan Terry 2 min: Pepe forces an early corner for Arsenal here. It's swung in by Ceballos but thumped clear thanks to a powerful Slavia header.
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Aubameyang has malaria
19:01 ,
Dylan Terry Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed in the last couple of minutes that he contracted malaria on national team duty.
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KICK-OFF! Slavia Prague 0-0 Arsenal (1-1 agg)
19:00 ,
Dylan Terry 1 min: Here we go then! Arsenal get us underway. Huge 90 minutes.
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:58 ,
Dylan Terry Almost ready to go here. The players are out, the Europa League anthem has been played, it's nearly go time!
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:57 ,
Dylan Terry A very limited - and I mean extremely limited - number of fans have been allowed in for tonight's match. Not enough to create a scary atmosphere though.
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:55 ,
Dylan Terry Right, five minutes until kick-off here. Who's your money on?
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Slavia's run to continue?
18:52 ,
Dylan Terry Slavia Prague have already knocked out Leicester and Rangers so far this season. Could they take a third British side out in the shape of Arsenal?
© Provided by The IndependentSlavia have already upset the odds in the Europa LeagueGetty Images
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Kuchta key for Slavia
18:49 ,
Dylan Terry Jan Kuchta is the danger man for Arsenal to watch out for tonight in the Slavia Prague side. 12 goals in 20 league games for the Czech side so far this season.
© Provided by The IndependentKuchta can be a deadly goalscorer on his dayAFP via Getty Images
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Smith Rowe in for 'sore' Martinelli
18:43 ,
Dylan Terry Mikel Arteta has just revealed Gabriel Martinelli had a sore ankle after the win at Sheffield United which played into why Emile Smith Rowe has started in front of him.
Martinelli is still expected to play a role off the bench though.
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Front Rowe seat
18:39 ,
Dylan Terry What about this man then? It's been a week of young English talent stealing the headlines in Europe. Jude Bellingham. Phil Foden. Emile Smith Rowe could be another to add to the least if he produces the goods in this one.
© Provided by The IndependentSmith Rowe has been a major positive for Arsenal this seasonArsenal FC via Getty Images
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Europa League history
18:35 ,
Dylan Terry In the 2017-18 Europa League campaign, Arsenal were knocked out in the semi-finals by Atletico Madrid.
One year later they went a step further by reaching the final, before being beaten by Chelsea.
Last season, the Gunners crashed out in humiliating circumstances to Olympiacos.
There's been a variety of failures over the past few seasons. Can they finally get it right this year?
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:30 ,
Dylan Terry Two goals for this man Alexandre Lacazette at the weekend against Sheffield United. Boy could Arsenal do with that again this evening.
© Provided by The IndependentLacazette is Arsenal's top scorer this seasonArsenal FC via Getty Images
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Manchester United v Granada
18:26 ,
Dylan Terry A reminder you can follow the other English side in action tonight through our other live blog this evening.
Manchester United host Granada having already beaten them 2-0 away last week. That one a little less on a knife edge than Arsenal's game here tonight.
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:21 ,
Dylan Terry Approaching 40 minutes from kick-off, it really does feel like a very big night for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
Does he survive the summer if they crash out this evening?
© Provided by The IndependentArteta is under pressure at ArsenalArsenal FC via Getty Images
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Second time's the charm?
18:15 ,
Dylan Terry Arsenal and Slavia Prague played out a 1-1 draw seven days ago. Relive the first leg by reading our report here.
© Provided by The IndependentSlavia scored in the 93rd minute last weekAFP via Getty Images
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Huge night for the Gunners
18:11 ,
Dylan Terry A massive evening for the Gunners. If they lose this, their season is over. Win this and suddenly a trophy and Champions League qualification does not seem so far away...
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal
18:07 ,
Dylan Terry The venue for tonight's game is the Sinobo Stadium in Prague. It holds 20,800 people at full capacity, but we will not see a full house tonight.
© Provided by The IndependentThe Sinobo Stadium is home to Slavia PragueArsenal FC via Getty Images
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Safety first
17:58 ,
Dylan Terry A reminder that everyone involved this evening has taken the necessary coronavirus precautions for the match to go ahead.
All the Arsenal team had their temperature taken as they arrived at the stadium.
© Provided by The IndependentArteta having his temperature taken ahead of the gameArsenal FC via Getty Images
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No Odegaard or Aubameyang
17:51 ,
Dylan Terry Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both failed in their race to be fit for this evening's game.
© Provided by The IndependentOdegaard and Aubameyang are not in tonight's squadArsenal FC via Getty Images
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Arsenal team news
17:47 ,
Dylan Terry And Mikel Arteta's team for tonight's game...
Arsenal team: Leno; Chambers, Holding, Mari, Xhaka; Partey, Ceballos, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Saka; Lacazette
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Slavia Prague team news
17:44 ,
Dylan Terry Here is the host's team for the match this evening.
Slavia Prague team: Kolar; Boril, Zima, Holes, Bah; Hromada, Olayinka, Provod, Stanciu, Sevcik; Kuchta.
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Slavia Prague v Arsenal (1-1 agg)
17:41 ,
Dylan Terry Welcome to coverage of the Europa League quarter-final second leg between Slavia Prague and Arsenal.
The Gunners let a 1-0 lead slip at the Emirates Stadium last week as they conceded a late away goal to hand the initiative to the Czech side ahead of tonight's all-important return leg.
Mikel Arteta's team will have to score if they are to advance through to the last four where they could come up against a familiar face in Unai Emery - now the coach of Villarreal.
It promises to be a tense affair and one that truly could go either way.
Team news shortly.
© Provided by The IndependentArteta will be hoping to guide his side through to the last fourPOOL/AFP via Getty Images
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ARSENAL FACE TENSE TRIP TO SLAVIA PRAGUE
15:25 ,
Dylan Terry Welcome to The Independent's live coverage as Slavia Prague host Arsenal in the second leg of their finely poised Europa League quarter-final tie after Tomas Holes snatched a last-gasp equaliser at the Emirates.