Arsenal complete Champions League group stage with 100% win record
What's the story
Arsenal FC completed a flawless Champions League 2025-26 league phase campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kairat Almaty. The match saw Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres score for the Gunners, who needed just one point to secure their position at the top of the table. However, credit to bottom-placed Kairat for providing the Gunners a scare at home. Here are the details.
Match dynamics
Havertz's impact and Kairat's equalizer
Manager Mikel Arteta made 11 changes to his squad, giving Havertz a first competitive start in nearly a year. Havertz made an immediate impact, assisting Gyokeres for a second-minute opener. However, Kairat equalized quickly when Jorginho converted a penalty after Riccardo Calafiori was adjudged to have tugged Jorginho's shirt. Despite the setback, Arsenal regained their lead through Havertz who scored on his return with a powerful left-footed shot into the net.
Near misses
Arsenal's missed chances and 2nd goal
Arsenal could have further extended their lead but Gyokeres missed two clear-cut chances, one from right under the crossbar. However, Havertz played a key role again by crossing the ball for Gyokeres, whose effort was helped on by Martinelli on the goal line. The goal was initially checked for offside on Havertz and Martinelli but was eventually awarded after a long VAR check.
Game management
Arsenal's substitutions and late consolation goal
At half-time, Arsenal took off Havertz and Calafiori to manage their minutes in the second half. Martin Odegaard had two headers saved while academy players Brando Bailey-Joseph and Ife Brahima made their senior debuts at 17 years old. Despite a late goal from Kairat forward Ricardinho, it was a near-perfect night for Arsenal who will face Borussia Dortmund, Olympiakos, Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the tournament.
Information
Arsenal complete perfect Champions League group stage
Arsenal won each of their 8 matches in the group stage. They finished with 24 points in this 36-team table. Arteta's men scored 23 goals and conceded just four. They finished ahead of Bayern Munich (21 points).
Twitter Post
200 wins for Arteta!
Win 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣: secured ☑️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 28, 2026
Pulling up a double century of victories for Mikel ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2acoDshCbQ