Havertz Shines as Arsenal Complete Perfect Champions League Campaign

Gunners seal eight wins from eight despite late Kairat consolation

Kai Havertz marked his first start in 357 days in style, scoring once and assisting twice as Arsenal beat Kairat 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium to complete a perfect Champions League group phase with eight victories from eight.

Already virtually assured of finishing top before kick-off, Mikel Arteta’s side made absolutely certain with a controlled performance against the Kazakh champions, bouncing back strongly from Sunday’s dramatic 3-2 Premier League defeat to Manchester United.

Having already beaten Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan, Arsenal will return to European action in March for the round of 16, and on current form, Arteta’s men look genuine contenders for a first-ever Champions League title.

Fast start sets the tone

Any lingering frustration from the weekend evaporated after just 102 seconds, when Viktor Gyökeres fired Arsenal into the lead.

Recalled to a heavily rotated starting XI after recent benchings, Gyökeres finished a lightning counter-attack that began deep in Arsenal’s half. Riccardo Calafiori cleared his lines calmly, Havertz released Gyökeres, and the Swedish striker made no mistake.

Against the run of play, Kairat responded five minutes later. Calafiori was penalised for pulling Jorginho’s shirt in the box following a VAR review, and the Italian midfielder coolly sent Kepa Arrizabalaga the wrong way from the spot.

Havertz at the heart of everything

Havertz’s last year has been disrupted by hamstring and knee surgery, and this was only his fourth appearance of the season. Still, the German midfielder wasted no time reminding everyone of his quality.

On 15 minutes, Havertz restored Arsenal’s lead, collecting Ben White’s pass on the right, cutting inside, and finishing clinically with his left foot.

Kairat struggled to cope with Arsenal’s movement and tempo, and the hosts soon extended their advantage. A clever no-look flick from Christian Nørgaard released Havertz once again, whose cross was met awkwardly by Gyökeres, allowing Gabriel Martinelli to tap in at the far post.

The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR overturned the decision, putting Arsenal firmly in control with nine minutes of the first half still to play.

Youth debuts and late drama

Havertz was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution, with Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke both testing goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov as Arsenal continued to dominate.

Teenagers Brando Bailey-Joseph (17) and Ife Ibrahim (18) were handed their debuts, becoming the 18th and 19th academy players to feature under Arteta. Gabriel Jesus also saw a goal ruled out by VAR for offside.

Deep into stoppage time, Ricardinho grabbed a consolation for Kairat, denying Arsenal a piece of history — becoming the first team to win eight consecutive Champions League matches by two goals or more.

Arsenal now turn their focus back to the Premier League, with a trip to Leeds at Elland Road coming up on Saturday.