A triumphant night capped by Kai Havertz’s inspiring return fuels Gunners’ momentum.
Arsenal carved their name into the Champions League record books on Wednesday, becoming the first team ever to win all eight matches in the competition’s league phase. A 3-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty sealed a flawless campaign and guaranteed top seeding, ensuring home advantage in the second leg of all future knockout rounds this season.
Manager Mikel Arteta, who made eleven changes to his lineup after a weekend Premier League defeat, beamed with pride at his squad’s unprecedented achievement. “I am very proud of the players and the run that we have had,” he said. “It is very difficult to win eight games in a row in the Champions League, and you can see what has happened with other teams.”
While the result was never in doubt against the tournament’s bottom side, the night’s true story was the triumphant return of Kai Havertz. The German midfielder, making his first start in nearly a year after a brutal injury spell, was instrumental, providing a sublime assist and scoring a crucial goal.
“It is going to give him a lot of confidence, and joy and energy—and to the team, too,” Arteta said, clearly thrilled. “The team knows how important Kai is for us… The fact that he was able to do that today after such a long time was very impressive. We must use him in the right way because he is going to be really important for us.”
Havertz announced his comeback after just two minutes, splitting the defence with a perfect pass for Viktor Gyokeres to hammer home. After a Jorginho penalty briefly leveled the score, Havertz calmly fired Arsenal back ahead with his first goal of the season. He then turned provider again, his cross finished by Gabriel Martinelli to secure the historic win before a late Kairat consolation.
The victory, and Havertz’s resurgence, sends Arsenal soaring into the knockout stages with record-setting momentum and a key weapon restored for the grueling months ahead.
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