Arsenal became the first side to win all eight matches in the Champions League league phase as the Gunners secured top spot with a 3-2 win over Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta’s men were already assured of a place in the last 16 and have also guaranteed they will have home advantage in the second leg of the knockout stages as long as they progress.
Tournament debutants Kairat finished bottom of the 36-team table with just one point from their eight matches and were never going to be a match for the Premier League leaders.
Arteta could afford the luxury of making 11 changes from the side that lost at the Emirates for the first time this season to Manchester United on Sunday and the goalscoring return of Kai Havertz could be critical to their chances of silverware in four competitions in the coming months.
The German made his first start for nearly a year after an injury-ravaged 12 months.
Havertz showed his class after just two minutes with a defence-splitting pass for Viktor Gyokeres to blast in his 10th goal of the season.
Jorginho gave the visitors a moment to savour when he equalised from the penalty spot.
Havertz quickly restored Arsenal’s advantage by firing in his first goal of the season from the edge of the area.
The man who scored the winner for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final was also involved for Arsenal’s third as Havertz’s cross was convered by Gabriel Martinelli.
Ricardinho pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time as Kairat ended their chastening first experience of Champions League football on a high.
AFP