Arsenal completed a perfect Champions League league phase after edging Kairat Almaty 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium, finishing top of the table with eight wins from eight and a maximum 24 points to their name.
The Gunners made a flying start, striking inside two minutes through Viktor Gyokeres. The striker latched onto Kai Havertz’s incisive pass and finished with confidence, immediately putting Arsenal on the front foot. Kairat, however, responded quickly. A shirt pull inside the area resulted in a penalty, and Jorginho calmly converted to draw the visitors level.
Arsenal soon reasserted control. Havertz, starting his first match in almost a year, marked his return with a superb left footed finish to restore the lead, before Gabriel Martinelli tapped in at the far post. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but a VAR review overturned the decision, sending Arsenal into the break with a deserved 3-1 advantage.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Arsenal dominating possession and creating chances at will. Gabriel Jesus thought he had added a fourth, only for semi automated offside to intervene once again. Kairat’s resistance finally cracked in stoppage time, albeit in their favour, as substitute Ricardinho headed home with the final touch of the game to make the scoreline 3-2.
Arsenal ended the night with an expected goals figure of 4.06 compared to Kairat’s 1.11, underlining their attacking superiority. While the visitors finish bottom of the table with a single point, Mikel Arteta’s side march confidently into the round of 16.
Elsewhere on a dramatic final night of the league phase, Barcelona came from behind to beat FC Copenhagen 4-1 at Camp Nou, securing automatic qualification to the last 16. Benfica produced one of the shocks of the round by defeating Real Madrid 4-2 in Lisbon, with a stoppage time goalkeeper header sealing a famous win. Liverpool ran riot at Anfield with a ruthless 6-0 demolition of Qarabag, while Manchester City maintained their momentum with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Galatasaray.
Bayern Munich edged PSV Eindhoven 2-1 away from home, Chelsea fell 3-2 at Napoli, and Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United in a tense encounter in Paris. Juventus were frustrated by a goalless draw at Monaco, while Inter Milan continued their strong campaign with a 2-0 away win over Borussia Dortmund. Elsewhere, Club Brugge beat Marseille 3-0, Bayer Leverkusen brushed aside Villarreal 3-0, and Atletico Madrid were held 2-2 by Bodo Glimt.
As the dust settles on an action packed league phase, Arsenal stand alone at the summit with a perfect record, while Europe’s elite now turn their focus to the knockout rounds, where the margins will be even finer and the stakes even higher.
