The Gunners, who brought an end to their four-game winless run on Sunday evening, defeating Sheffield United 3-0 at Bramall Lane, were held to a 1-1 draw by Slavia in last Thursday's first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Tomas Holes netted a dramatic late equaliser for the Czech outfit in stoppage time after Nicolas Pepe had given the Gunners the lead with just four minutes remaining on the clock.
That means that Slavia do have the advantage of having an away goal to their name ahead of kick-off this evening, meaning Arsenal must score to stand any chance of progressing to the last four and booking a semi-final date against either Villarreal or Dinamo Zagreb.
Although the Gunners will be in for a stern test this evening, with Slavia having already knocked Leicester City and Rangers out of the competition on route to the last eight, they will have a sense of confidence flowing through their veins after recording a professional victory against the Blades on Sunday.
However, the Gunners will no doubt feel the weight on their shoulders as the Europa League remains their only hope of lifting a piece of silverware this season.
"It’s very important for us and this is our club," said the Spaniard during his pre-match press call on Wednesday. "It’s not individual interests it’s all a collective interest that we want to do well in every competition.
"Tomorrow’s game puts us in a position to go into a semi-final of a European competition and this is where this club have to be. That’s why tomorrow we have to earn that."
Ahead of tonight's game, Arteta has been handed the unwanted stress of not being able to provide a concrete answer on whether or not Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be available for selection, meaning he faces a potential dilemma in attack. Both missed out at the weekend due to an ankle injury and illness respectively.
However, Arteta has got plenty of midfield options available to him, with Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos, Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey all fit and available for selection.
But with Xhaka potentially continuing at left-back in place of the injured Kieran Tierney, it means two of Ceballos, Elneny and Partey will make up Arteta's midfield pivot.
While all three of them bring their own individual qualities to the table, midfield enforcer Partey is likely to be the main frontrunner to bag one of the two places up for grabs.
And that could well be the case if his latest social media post is anything to go by.
But with Xhaka potentially continuing at left-back in place of the injured Kieran Tierney, it means two of Ceballos, Elneny and Partey will make up Arteta's midfield pivot.
While all three of them bring their own individual qualities to the table, midfield enforcer Partey is likely to be the main frontrunner to bag one of the two places up for grabs.
And that could well be the case if his latest social media post is anything to go by.
However, it should be noted that other players have done the same in the past when only named on the substitutes bench and not in the starting line-up.
Since joining the Gunners from Atletico back in October, Partey's maiden season in England has been plagued by injury complaints, meaning he has struggled to get into a consistent rhythm.
However, the midfielder, who claimed an assist against Sheffield United on Sunday, has been featuring regularly in recent weeks, providing hope that his fortunes are changing. Since joining the club, the Ghana international has racked up 23 appearances, chipping in with three assists
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