Gilberto: It was invaluable

Gilberto: Wise words

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Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva believes that Wednesday night's 0-0 draw with Slavia Prague will benefit the young players in their development.

Arsene Wenger rotated his side for the UEFA Champions League encounter, incorporating several of his promising stars into the starting XI.

The Gunners were forced to battle hard in difficult conditions as Slavia did their utmost to prevent a repeat of the previous 7-0 thumping.

And Gilberto is positive the match will have provided Theo Walcott et al with invaluable experience.

Quality

"We expected a difficult game. From the first game against them it was a great result for us but not for them, so we knew they were going to be up for the game," he told Sky Sports.

"We faced a lot of difficulties, but it was important for us to get through to the next stage [the draw was enough to send Arsenal through to the next round].

"Of course it was a great experience for them. In their career they will face a lot of difficulties and an experience like that for them will be very important for the future.

"Step-by-step they are having their opportunity to show their quality and they are showing the quality they have got.

"And it is great for the team because apart from the first XI we have players on the bench that can make a difference."