Arsenal secured top spot in the Champions League league phase with a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty, completing a flawless record of eight victories from eight matches. Kai Havertz marked a first Arsenal start since February 2025 with a goal and a creative display, as the scoreline failed to fully show the control at Emirates Stadium.
Progress to the knockout rounds had already been guaranteed, so Mikel Arteta changed the entire starting XI from the dramatic Premier League loss to Manchester United. Despite the rotation, Arsenal dominated and scored all three goals inside 36 minutes, while Kairat finished bottom of the standings after a campaign in which results rarely matched effort.
Arsenal started at high speed, with Havertz threading a precise
through ball to Viktor Gyokeres after just one minute and 42 seconds. That opener was Arsenal’s earliest Champions League goal since Yaya Sanogo struck against Borussia Dortmund in 2014 after one minute and 12 seconds, underlining how quickly Arsenal seized control against Kairat.
Kairat briefly disrupted the script in the seventh minute, when Jorginho won a penalty after being pulled back by Riccardo Calafiori. Jorginho stepped up and sent Kepa Arrizabalaga the wrong way, levelling the score, yet Arsenal’s response was immediate as the pressure around the visitors’ penalty area kept rising with every attack launched.
Havertz restored Arsenal’s advantage after 15 minutes, cutting in from the right and finishing with a precise left-footed shot following a pass from captain Ben White. Gabriel Martinelli added the third when Havertz delivered an accurate cross, Gyokeres diverted the ball goalwards and Martinelli finished from close range, during a first half in which Arsenal generated a huge attacking threat.
| Team | Goals | Shots | Shots on target | First-half xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 3 | 25 | — | 3.35 |
| Kairat Almaty | 2 | — | 2 | — |
Arsenal’s first-half expected goals figure of 3.35 was the highest recorded by any side in the opening 45 minutes of a Champions League game this season. The hosts produced 25 shots overall and could have scored far more than three, while Kairat were extremely clinical, converting both of the team’s only two efforts on target.
Arsenal become the first team to finish the league phase with a #UCL pic.twitter.com/wcuQqZPEf6UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
This was Havertz’s first start for Arsenal since February 2025 after a difficult spell with injury, yet the Germany international quickly influenced every phase of play before being withdrawn at half-time. Since debuting for Arsenal in August 2023, Havertz has both scored and assisted in eight different matches, with only Bukayo Saka achieving that feat more often for the club during that period, managing it in nine games.
Martinelli also continued a strong personal Champions League campaign, with the close-range strike against Kairat taking the tally to six goals this season. Only Thierry Henry has scored more for Arsenal in a single Champions League season, registering seven in both the 2001-02 and 2002-03 campaigns, placing Martinelli alongside some of the club’s most productive European forwards.
Arsenal Champions League match finale
The second half unfolded at a calmer rhythm, with the tempo dropping after half-time substitutions saw Havertz and Calafiori replaced. Gabriel Jesus thought Arsenal had extended the margin, but a late finish was disallowed for offside, and Kairat substitute Ricardinho instead scored the final goal by heading in Valeri Gromyko’s cross four minutes into stoppage time, trimming the score to 3-2.
Despite that late concession, Arsenal’s performance underlined strong depth across the squad and a clear attacking structure, even with wholesale rotation. Kairat left Emirates Stadium defeated yet efficient in front of goal, while Arsenal could reflect on becoming the first team to record a perfect league-stage record in this Champions League format, entering the knockout phase with momentum and confidence.
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