Mikel Arteta’s side capped off a flawless Champions League group stage, winning all eight of their matches to claim top position with a 3-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on Wednesday.
Already guaranteed a spot in the Round of 16, Arsenal also ensured they will have home advantage in the second leg of the knockout rounds, provided they progress further.
Kairat, making their tournament debut, finished bottom of the 36-team group with just one point from eight matches, and were always up against it facing the Premier League leaders.
Arteta took the opportunity to rotate his squad, making 11 changes from the team that suffered their first home loss of the season to Manchester United just days before. The return of Kai Havertz to the starting lineup proved vital, as his performance could play a key role in Arsenal’s pursuit of silverware across four competitions in the months ahead.
The German international made his first start in nearly a year, following a challenging period plagued by injury. He wasted no time in showcasing his ability, providing a brilliant assist for Viktor Gyokeres, who netted his 10th goal of the season after just two minutes.
Kairat briefly leveled the score when Jorginho converted a penalty, but Havertz quickly restored Arsenal’s lead with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, marking his first goal of the campaign.
The midfielder, who famously scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, was also involved in the third goal, delivering a cross that Gabriel Martinelli converted to make it 3-1.
Kairat did pull one back deep into stoppage time through Ricardinho, but it was a consolation as the debutants ended their first-ever Champions League campaign with a hard-fought but ultimately disappointing result.
