Arsenal completed a historic Champions League run after a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty to finish top of the league phase
Arsenal Football Club on Wednesday night in Almaty became the first team to win all eight matches in the UEFA Champions League league phase, securing top spot with a 3–2 victory over Kazakhstan champions Kairat Almaty.
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The Premier League leaders had already sealed qualification for the last 16 before kick-off and confirmed home advantage in the second leg of the knockout stages with another composed display.
Kairat Almaty, competing in the tournament for the first time, finished bottom of the 36-team table with one point and struggled to match Arsenal’s intensity.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made 11 changes from the side beaten by Manchester United at the weekend, rotating heavily with qualification already assured.
The decision paid off as Kai Havertz marked his first start in nearly a year with an influential performance after a long injury lay-off.
Havertz made an immediate impact after two minutes, threading a precise pass for Viktor Gyokeres, who fired in his 10th goal of the season.
Kairat briefly rallied when Jorginho converted a penalty to draw the hosts level, giving the home crowd a moment to savour.
Havertz restored Arsenal’s lead with a powerful strike from the edge of the area, scoring his first goal of the season.
The Germany international later turned provider again as his cross was finished by Gabriel Martinelli to extend Arsenal’s advantage.
Ricardinho reduced the deficit deep into stoppage time, but the late goal did little to alter the outcome.
The result capped a dominant Arsenal Champions League run, underlining the club’s credentials as a serious contender across multiple competitions this season.
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Arteta’s side now head into the knockout phase unbeaten, confident and armed with momentum built on depth, discipline and renewed firepower.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
