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Arsenal secured a place in the knockout rounds with a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, barring a final matchday disaster against Girona.
The Gunners hit an early lead thanks to Declan Rice and were in complete control for the rest of the night at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz’s 14th goal of the season extended Arsenal’s lead just before the hour mark, before captain Martin Odegaard scored his first goal from open play since April to secure a comfortable victory.
How the game unfolded
Dinamo Zagreb were playing competitively for the first time under new head coach Fabio Cannavaro – their tenth permanent boss since April 2020 – and had just two friendlies under their belt since December 22 last year, meaning the onus was on him. Arsenal To get started fast.
The Gunners were not dismayed to hit the front inside two minutes, putting the surrender of a two-goal lead against Aston Villa out of their minds on Saturday.
Gabriel Martinelli worked some space down the left and fizzed a cross into the box which was expertly cushioned by a very poor Havertz. Rice got right to the mark, hitting a superbly controlled half volley into the bottom of Ivan Navistik’s net.
Arsenal dominated the opening 25 minutes, before the visitors began to mount a bit more of a contest – 21-year-old Martin Baturina, seen by many as the long-term heir to Croatia’s Luka Modric, giving an insight into his talent on the ball.
Half-time came and went without testing the goalkeeper again, although Arsenal had all the momentum as Dinamo struggled to hold onto the ball in the face of an organized, intense press.
It took 66 minutes for Arsenal to breach Dinamo’s backline for the second time, registering their third shot on target in the process. Martinelli was again the main creator, whipping a devilish ball into the area that begged Havertz to rise highest and nod home. The German duly bounded in, planting the ball past Navistik to score his 14th goal of the season.
Rice should have made it three ten minutes later, but he headed Ethan Nwaneri’s towering center wide. It didn’t matter for Arsenal, who grabbed a third in the dying moments of the game through captain Martin Odegaard – the Norwegian headed home from close range after good work from substitute Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal now just need to avoid disaster against Girona – as well as a string of results going against them – to automatically qualify for the knockout rounds.
Check out the player ratings from Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb here.
A constant discourse on social media and among pundits is that Arsenal need to sign a predatory striker who often finds the back of the net.
It’s a statement that is objectively true – Arsenal struggle to score goals on occasion and sometimes seem to lack that killer instinct, which is usually associated with strikers playing on the shoulder of the last defender.
But in Kai Havertz, who is usually tasked with working over the top, they have a truly consistent performer. The German set up Rice’s goal brilliantly and then finished the game as a contest with him 14th goal of the season.
He has now scored more goals than Ollie Watkins, Nicolas Jackson, Rasmus Hojlund, Lautaro Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic – a selection of some of Europe’s highest-profile strikers – this season, and will likely break the 20-goal mark by then. The season ends.
Arsenal’s build-up play has been criticized in the absence of the injured Bukayo Saka, lacking creativity and relying on set-pieces.
Saka is missed, undoubtedly, and it is no exaggeration to say that losing their talisman has disrupted the Gunners’ flow. Truth be told, this will happen Liverpool If they lose Mohamed Salah, and it has already happened with Manchester City in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.
The good news is that Gabriel Martinelli seems to be finding form again on the left, seemingly re-energized and ready to shoulder the burden of responsibility alongside Martin Odegaard. The assist here was at least a performance worthy of the Brazilian and it would be a surprise if more don’t come in the near future.
This felt like a night where Raheem Sterling really needed to make a statement. A night to prove to Arteta that he really has something to offer, a night to prove to Arteta that he deserves more minutes, and certainly a night to prove to Arteta that 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri shouldn’t be outclassed. Packing order.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for the 30-year-old. Sterling’s evening lasted just 58 minutes, including 33 touches and four dribbles, two of which were successful. He also attempted three crosses, although none found an Arsenal teammate. It was a case of the same old story for the four-time Premier League winners who looked bereft of any confidence.
On this evidence, there is little reason for Arteta to think that Sterling can help push him to Arsenal. Premier League And potentially Champions League glory, and, to put it bluntly, he’s occupying a domestic loan spot that could probably be put to better use elsewhere.
