Arsenal seal perfect Champions League league phase with win over Kairat | OneFootball

Arsenal complete perfect Champions League league phase with Kairat win

Arsenal’s Champions League campaign continues to gather momentum, not through drama or desperation, but through quiet authority. Victory over Kairat Almaty sealed a flawless league phase, eight wins from eight, and confirmed Mikel Arteta’s side as one of the competition’s early standard bearers.

There was little riding on the outcome in terms of qualification. Arsenal had already secured a top-two finish after last week’s 3-1 win over Inter Milan, guaranteeing home advantage in the second leg of their knockout tie. Yet the evening still carried significance, not least for Kai Havertz, whose return to the starting XI brought a sense of narrative to what might otherwise have been a routine exercise.

Havertz return shapes early dominance

Arsenal needed just two minutes to strike. Havertz, making his first start in a competitive game for 357 days, slipped Viktor Gyokeres through on goal and the striker powered a low finish into the corner. It was the kind of goal that reflected Arsenal’s control, sharp movement, crisp passing, and a sense that the contest could be settled early.

That sense was briefly disrupted. Kairat, bottom of the league phase with only one point, levelled just three minutes later when Jorginho scored from the penalty spot after Riccardo Calafiori was judged to have pulled him back. It was unexpected and, for a moment, unsettling.

Arsenal responded with calm rather than urgency. Possession was reasserted, territory reclaimed. Havertz then restored the lead with a powerful left-footed finish, a goal that mattered less for the scoreline and more for what it represented. After a long absence following a knee injury, this was a visible reminder of what he offers when fit, timing, physical presence, and the capacity to arrive in the right spaces.

Gyokeres and Martinelli add control

Gyokeres, who arrived in the summer for £64m, had chances to extend Arsenal’s advantage but could not quite add to his tally. Even so, his involvement remained important. One such moment came when he attempted to meet a low Havertz cross, helping the ball on instead for Gabriel Martinelli to tap in from close range. It was a goal built on pressure and proximity, Arsenal squeezing their opponents until space appeared.

Gabriel Jesus thought he had made it four late on, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Kairat did manage a late consolation when Ricardinho nodded in, but it did little to alter the broader shape of the night or the sense of Arsenal’s control.

Rotation offers insight into Arteta thinking

With first or second place already assured, Arteta made 11 changes. This was not merely about rest. It was about information. The return of Havertz alongside Gyokeres leading the line offered a glimpse of a possible future configuration.

Havertz has long been a trusted figure for Arteta. Since recovering from his knee injury, he had managed just 59 minutes of first-team football. His use here, and recently off the bench against Portsmouth, suggests a growing willingness to reintroduce him gradually, and perhaps to redefine how he fits into Arsenal’s attacking structure.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, has yet to fully settle since his move from Sporting. There may be matches where Havertz leads the line instead, particularly in higher-stakes fixtures. Yet this experiment hinted at Arteta’s flexibility, and at a desire to build a squad capable of shifting shape without losing rhythm.

Arsenal finish top of the league phase and become only the second English side to win eight or more consecutive Champions League games, after Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. It is a statistic that underlines consistency rather than spectacle, a reminder that Arsenal’s European progress has been built on reliability, rotation, and a growing depth of options.