Arsenal are one step closer to landing a place in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 in their final home fixture of the tournament's new league phase.
Wasting no time, the Gunners grabbed the lead with the first shot of the game. Declan Rice rifled a half volley into the back of the net, and Arsenal were ahead within two minutes of the first whistle.
Chances continued to fall for the hosts, who were still only one goal to the good at half time. And after the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, fans would be foolish to assume three points were in the bag.
However, the Emirates Stadium sighed with relief at the sight of a second strike in the 66th minute. Kai Havertz headed home the ball, equalling his tally of 14 goals from all of the previous season. Martin Ødegaard then rubbed salt in the wounds with his first goal of the campaign in open play.
Here are four things we learnt from Arsenal’s victory:
Rice retains his high standards
The injury for Bukayo Saka has allowed other players the space to shine as the team's talisman. At the moment, that individual is not one of the forwards but the man who embodies the engine room.
Whether or not one believes Rice was worth the nine figure transfer, he has stood up to be counted. Again, he featured in a more forward thinking role, scoring and showing up in the box for headers.
Rice's accuracy in the air is a little errant. He should have hit the target after connecting with a cross from Ethan Nwaneri in the 75th minute. But, the midfielder has skills that set him apart in the squad.
Mikel Arteta again spoke highly of Rice as someone who is “so consistent, so reliable” and now has uncovered “another bite to his game.” His struggles at the start of the season are a thing of the past.
Martinelli makes more positive impressions
Of course, Arsenal cannot depend on impact in the midfield. They need their attackers to contribute.
Havertz and Ødegaard have struggled at the start of 2025 and will want whatever confidence they can take from their goals for the rest of the season. But the big plus point belonged to Gabriel Martinelli.
Martinelli's movement to get goals from wide positions is his standout trait. But if it is necessary, he also showed that he can carry the ball and pull the team up the pitch on more than one occasion.
His dribbling pinned back Stefan Ristovski on the way to the first goal. Even more impressively, it was his exact delivery that set up Havertz’s header before the winger finally came off in injury time.
Martinelli has been a much-maligned figure in the last 18 months. Yet, he still has value for the squad. And given the additional absence of Gabriel Jesus, he is one of the most critical parts on the roster.
Harnessing the home advantage
The goals will not be the only thing to please Arteta. His men also kept their first clean sheet this year.
It is fitting that this feat was possible in the tournament where they have the most strides to make forward. In October, Arteta challenged his players to create some memorable nights in the Champions League, and they are taking on that task admirably in front of their home fans in north London.
The Gunners have not let in a single goal across four Champions League clashes at their ground.
For once, the defence did not need to carry much of the burden to succeed. Jurriën Timber did not have his best evening on the ball, and Gabriel Magalhães was guilty of missing a few headers from the typical set-piece routines. They also faced encountered any pressure in their third of the field.
Tougher tests will be on the horizon at the Emirates Stadium. But the fortress of a home ground gives many clubs a big boost in continental competition and Arteta's men will want to continue their streak.
Arsenal are almost there
Arteta knows the target is qualification for one of the eight automatic spots in the league phase. The job is not complete until the end of the last matchday. However, confidence is warranted at this stage.
Arteta admits his outfit are “are in a really, really good position.” They are only behind Barcelona and Liverpool, who have both booked their spots in the Round of 16. They are three points above ninth position with a superior goal difference; the trip to Girona should be little more than a formality.
Arteta was also willing to give minutes to some of his more marginal players in this contest. Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko were a part of the back four, and Kieran Tierney saw out the final fifteen minutes. Nathan Butler-Oyedeji also made his senior debut for the side in injury time.
The winter schedule has stressed out Arteta. But at least he is well on the way to ticking off this task.
