Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League and a place in the knockout rounds is now assured, barring a disaster against Girona in the last round.
The Gunners came to the fore early on thanks to Declan Rice and were in complete control for the rest of the night at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz extended Arsenal’s lead just before the hour mark with his 14th goal of the season, before captain Martin Odegaard scored his first goal from open play since April to seal a comfortable victory.
How the match 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 since December 22 last year, meaning the onus was on Arsenal get going quickly.
The Gunners did not disappoint, overturning a two-goal lead against Aston Villa on Saturday to go ahead inside two minutes.
Gabriel Martinelli created some space down the left flank and crossed into the box which was expertly cushioned by the much maligned Havertz. Rice arrived at the exact moment, knocking a superbly controlled half-volley into the bottom of Ivan Nevistic’s net.
Arsenal maintained their dominance for the first 25 minutes, without ever really threatening again, before the visitors started to get into the fight a bit more – 21-year-old Martin Baturina, regarded by many as Croatia’s long-term successor to Luka Modric, offering a glimpse of his talent for the ball.
Half-time came and went without testing either goalkeeper again, although Arsenal had all the momentum as Dinamo struggled to keep the ball in front of an organised, intense press.
It took 66 minutes for Arsenal to break through Dinamo’s back line for the second time, recording only the third shot on goal. Martinelli was once again the main creator, whipping a devilish ball into the area that begged Havertz to rise highest and nod. The German did just that, slotting the ball past Nevistic for his 14th goal of the season.
Rice should have made it three ten minutes later but managed to head home Ethan Nwaneri’s brilliant cross. It didn’t matter to Arsenal, who scored a third in the dying embers of the game through captain Martin Odegaard – the Norwegian pulling the ball back 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 against them – to automatically qualify for the knockout round.
See Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb player ratings here.
The constant discourse on social media and among pundits is that Arsenal must sign a predatory striker who finds the goal again and again.
It’s a statement that’s objectively true – Arsenal struggle to score goals at times and sometimes seem to lack that killer instinct usually associated with a striker playing on the shoulder of a full-back.
But in Kai Havertz, who is usually tasked with doing a top-level job, they have a really consistent performer. The German set up Rice’s goal brilliantly and then shut down the game as a contest with his own 14th goal of the season.
He has now scored more goals than Ollie Watkins, Nicolas Jackson, Rasmus Hojlund, Lautar Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic – the pick of some of Europe’s most prominent strikers – this season, and is likely to pass the 20-goal mark by the time the season ends.
Arsenal’s build-up play has been criticized in the absence of the injured Bukaya Saka, with a lack of creativity and a reliance on set pieces.
Saka was undoubtedly missed and it is no exaggeration to say that the loss of their talisman disrupted the flow of the Gunners. Truth be told, that would happen Liverpool if they lost Mohamed Salah, which already happened to Manchester City in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.
The good news is that Gabriel Martinelli looks set to find form again on the left flank, seemingly re-energized and ready to shoulder the burden of responsibility with Martin Odegaard. The assist was the least the Brazilian performance deserved and it would be a surprise if another assist did not appear in the near future.
This felt like a night where Raheem Sterling really needed to make a statement. A night where Arteti will prove he really has something to offer, a night where Arteti will prove he deserves more minutes, and most certainly a night where Arteti will prove that 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri should not be above him in the pecking order.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for the 30-year-old. Sterling’s night lasted just one minute and 58 minutes, consisting of 33 touches and four dribbles, two of which were successful. He also attempted three crosses but none found his Arsenal teammate. It was the same old story for the four-time Premier League winners who looked devoid of any confidence.
On this evidence, there is little reason for Arteta to think Sterling can help him push Arsenal towards Premier League and potentially Champions League glory, and, cynically speaking, he takes the place of a domestic loan that could probably be better used elsewhere.
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