Arsenal got the job done against Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates on Wednesday as a 3-0 victory put them in a very strong position to seal a safe passage into the Champions League last 16.
The perfect start came when Declan Rice slammed home after good work from Gabreil Martinelli on the left and Kai Havertz. It was the midfielder’s first goal in the competition and Arsenal’s earliest since 2014. In the second half, Havertz scored a header again after good work from Martinelli before Martin Odegaard completed the victory.
Arteta chose to give starts to Jakub Kiwior in defence with Oleksandr Zinchenko while 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri returned to play the final half an hour.
Jordan Campbell breaks down the talking points from the Emirates.
Why is avoiding playoffs so important?
Before their penultimate league-phase game, Opta gave Arsenal a 97.7 per cent chance of qualifying automatically for the last-16. After their win over Zagreb, that number is as close to 100 per cent as it gets. They are still not automatically guaranteed to finish in the top eight places but sitting in third with 16 points from a possible 21, they are all but assured of safe passage.
That is because not only are they three points ahead of the five teams three points back, they have a far superior goal difference to Aston Villa, Monaco, Lille, Brest and Feyenoord.
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It is significant that Arsenal look to have avoided the play-off round as two extra fixtures when they have endured a difficult time with injuries would place additional demands on the players.
The first leg also falls on Feb 11 or 12, which comes during the free week Arsenal have in their calendar due to their FA Cup third-round elimination to Manchester United.
That week has been earmarked as a potential window for Arsenal to have a week’s camp abroad similar to the one last season in Dubai that helped the team reset after a difficult run.
How did new-look defence get on?
Seven games in and still no open play goals conceded for Arsenal. Only Inter and Sporting CP have managed to breach David Raya’s goal but they came from a penalty and a corner.
Arsenal have the lowest xG faced from open play in the competition this term at under three goals and, despite a depleted back four, they never looked under serious threat from Zagreb.
Jurrien Timber replaced Thomas Partey at right back after filling in for the injured William Saliba against Aston Villa, which allowed Jakub Kiwior to come in alongside Gabriel. It is not an ideal solution as he is a left-footed player playing at right centre-back, which Arteta spoke about on Monday, but he coped fine bar one moment when he lost possession and had to be bailed out.
(Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
At left-back there was more enforced change, however. Myles Lewis-Skelly picked up an issue in training on Tuesday which meant he missed out, while Riccardo Calafiori could also not complete the session as he works to return from injury.
It meant Oleksandr Zinchenko was given his first start since the 2-0 win over Manchester United on December 4. The Ukrainian has fallen down the pecking order but in games where Arsenal dominate possession, he helps streamline Arsenal’s game with his creativity.
But on the defensive side of things, it was another clean sheet which means that Arsenal have kept the most in the competition over their past eight match days.
How did Nwaneri get on?
It looks like Ethan Nwaneri may have similar healing powers to Bukayo Saka. The 17-year-old missed the last four games in all competitions after coming off injured at half-time in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.
It was a muscle injury and was expected to keep him out for weeks but his substitute appearance against Zagreb is welcome for a team lacking options in the forward area.
He received a terrific reception from the Emirates when he entered the pitch in the 58th minute and, 10 minutes later, he showed why he is such an exciting player to have back when he skipped past his opponent to reach the byeline.
The fans sang “He’s one of our own” to show how glad they were to have another Hale End product back on the wing with Saka still injured. He showed no signs of needing time to get back up to speed and in the 89th minute sprinted to cover his defenders and block a cross, which was celebrated like a goal.
There was also a debut for 22-year-old Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who came on for the last few minutes of the match.
What did Mikel Arteta say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Arsenal?
Saturday, January 25: Wolves (A), Premier League, 3pm GMT, 10am ET
When do the knockouts begin?
The play-off draw will be held on January 31 at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
The knockout play-offs begin on February 11 and 12, with the second legs on February 18 and 19. From the play-offs onwards, the tournament is a bracket, ending with the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on May 31.
The full knockout dates are:
Knockout phase play-offs: February 11, 12 and February 18, 19
Round of 16: March 4, 5 and March 11, 12
Quarter-finals: April 8, 9 and April 15, 16
Semi-finals: April 29, 30 and May 6, 7
Final: May 31
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(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
