Arsenal on brink of knockout stage as Havertz secures victory over Dinamo Zagreb | Champions League

Job done for Mikel Arteta. After the week he has had, the last thing the Arsenal manager would have wanted was another frantic finale to a home game. For much of this game, after Declan Rice had fired the hosts in front after just 72 seconds, it looked like Arsenal might go the distance as they huffed and puffed but couldn’t find another goal to fending off a spirited Dinamo Zagreb team. managed by defending champion Fabio Cannavaro.

A collective sigh of relief greeted the second goal from Kai Havertz when it finally came 20 minutes from time as Martin Ødegaard added a third late on to all but ensure Arsenal finish in the top eight and avoid the need for a play-off next month. With a warm-weather training camp in Dubai lined up instead after their early exit from the FA Cup, it could do Arteta’s tired squad a world of good in the long run.

While their progress in this competition has been fairly smooth so far, there was a reminder of supporters’ frustrations with Arsenal’s mixed fortunes in the Premier League when it was revealed that a message had been added to a mural outside the ground featuring co-chairman Josh Kroenke and former midfielder Santi Cazorla. “Time to splash some cash Josh,” it read. Kroenke watched from the stands as, in William Saliba’s continued absence, Arteta handed Oleksandr Zinchenko just his fourth start of the season and recalled Jakub Kiwior to his defence, with Raheem Sterling replacing Leandro Trossard in attack.

Dinamo have recovered well from the 9-2 mauling they suffered against Bayern Munich in their opening match, recording both of their wins away from home to still have a realistic chance of qualification. But having not played competitively since mid-December due to the winter break in their domestic league and under the command of former Italy defender Cannavaro for the first time since replacing Nenad Bjelica, it was perhaps no surprise that they took time to find their feet. .

Arteta had urged his players to shake off the frustrations of their draw here against Aston Villa on Saturday and they took him at his word. Just over a minute had passed when they found a way through Dinamo’s defense after Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was expertly teed up inside the area by Kai Havertz for Rice to hit the net. Rice and Gabriel Magalhães failed to take further chances, with the Brazilian defender somehow missing the target from a corner routine that led to a mass of jeering arms being waved by the rowdy traveling supporters behind the goal.

Cannavaro – who won the Ballon d’Or in 2006 after captaining Italy to their World Cup triumph – helped Udinese avoid relegation from Serie A last season and also briefly managed China’s national team. He had previously described this as the “biggest game of my coaching career”, but could only watch from afar as Arsenal kept up a relentless pace. Sterling and Havertz should both have done better, with a last-ditch tackle from Raúl Torrente denying the former as the goal gaped.

A mix-up between David Raya and Kiwior almost gave Dinamo their first sight of goal 10 minutes before the break until Havertz was able to intercept and turn defense into attack. It took a last-ditch tackle from Sammy Mmaee to deny Martinelli at the other end as, for all their dominance, Arsenal failed to extend their lead.

Sterling went into the book at the start of the second half after struggling to break through for a through ball and proceeded to tap into Maxime Bernauer instead. He was joined by Jurrien Timber soon after as Dinamo managed to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm. Arteta turned to Ethan Nwaneri to provide some inspiration from the bench and the 17-year-old received a rousing reception when he replaced Sterling, having missed the last three weeks with a muscle injury. But it was Martinelli who was the architect of their second goal as he cut in from the left flank and picked out Havertz for a simple header that helped unnerve his manager.

It was the 500th goal Arsenal have scored since Arteta took over as manager five years ago and Ødegaard made it 501 in stoppage time when he swept home a cross from Trossard to all but secure their presence in the knockout stages for second season in a row. after losing in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich last year.