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Arsenal 8-0 Slavia Prague (13-2 on aggregate)• Van de Donk and Miedema both hit hat-tricksIt has been five years since Arsenal last contested a
Champions League round of 16, but the sight of them still relentlessly passing the ball and driving at the Slavia defence long after the match was already sealed made it clear that they have missed this. In the end, Arsenal moved into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 13-2 win on aggregate. Their fourth consecutive victory was sealed with hat-tricks from player of the match Daniëlle van de Donk and Vivianne Miedema.
The big question for Arsenal this year was how they would fare with the renewed burden and benefit of Champions League football after so long. Two weeks ago, Arsenal travelled to Prague on the back of their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea. Their 5-2 victory in the away leg was an exhibition of their resilience. Miedema was merciless, crushing the home side with a hat-trick by the 29th minute and four goals in total. The Netherlands striker was decisive again on Sunday, scoring the only goal in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over
Manchester City, a game notable for Arsenal’s slick passing and relentless pressing.