In a comfortable match at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have essentially secured their spot in the Champions League’s last 16 with a 3-0 victory over Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb. The Gunners, currently in third place, only need to avoid a heavy defeat against Girona next week to secure a top eight spot and bypass the play-off stage.
Arsenal’s first goal came in the second minute, as Kai Havertz cushioned Gabriel Martinelli’s cross for Declan Rice to hammer past Zagreb’s goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic. Havertz then scored a second goal in the 66th minute, marking the 500th goal under manager Mikel Arteta, while Martin Odegaard added a third goal late in the match.
Zagreb struggled to make an impact, with captain Arijan Ademi’s long-range shot going well over the goal. Arsenal had opportunities to score more, with Rice’s shot being blocked and Gabriel’s header going wide from a corner. Arteta had emphasized the importance of building on the team’s progress in the group stage, and Arsenal did just that by starting strong and securing an early lead with Rice’s goal, the fastest for Arsenal since Yaya Sanogo’s 72-second goal against Borussia Dortmund in 2014. The Gunners’ defense also remained solid, conceding only two goals, second only to Inter Milan.
Arteta was also able to include Riccardo Calafiori and Ethan Nwaneri on the bench, both returning from injuries. However, Arteta’s main focus will be on maintaining Arsenal’s strong home form in Europe, as they have only lost one of their last 26 home games in the group stage, as they head into the knockout phase.
