Kai Havertz marked his first start in 357 days in style, scoring once and creating two more as Arsenal edged Kairat 3-2 to finish the Champions League group stage with a perfect record.
Already all but guaranteed top spot before kick-off, Mikel Arteta’s men made it official with a controlled performance against the Kazakh side at the Emirates Stadium, sealing eight wins from eight matches.
The victory further underlined Arsenal’s European credentials, having already seen off Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan, and they will return to Champions League action in March for the round of 16. On current form, Arteta’s side are firmly among the contenders for a maiden title.
Any lingering disappointment from Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat to Manchester United quickly disappeared as Arsenal struck after just 102 seconds.
Viktor Gyökeres finished off a swift counter-attack, sparked by Riccardo Calafiori’s clearance and a perfectly weighted through ball from Havertz.
Gyökeres, restored to the starting XI after recent bench appearances, looked sharp throughout, though Arsenal were briefly pegged back when Kairat equalised five minutes later.
A VAR review spotted Calafiori pulling Jorginho inside the area, and Jorginho coolly converted the resulting penalty past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Havertz, making only his fourth appearance of the season following hamstring and knee surgery, quickly reasserted Arsenal’s dominance. On 15 minutes, he collected Ben White’s pass, cut inside and fired a precise finish to put the hosts back in front.
Arsenal continued to overwhelm their opponents and nearly added more through Gyökeres before Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-1.
Havertz was again involved, latching onto a clever flick from Christian Norgaard and driving forward before his cross found Martinelli at tth post. After an initial offside call, VAR confirmed the goal.
Havertz was taken off at half-time, with Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke both testing goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov as Arsenal maintained control.
Teenagers Brando Bailey-Joseph and Ife Ibrahim were also handed debuts, becoming the 18th and 19th academy graduates used by Arteta.
A late strike from Ricardinho proved only a consolation for Kairat, denying Arsenal a historic eighth straight Champions League win by a two-goal margin.
Attention now shifts back to domestic matters, with Arsenal travelling to Elland Road to face Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday.p, Advance to Knockouts
