Champions League first for Havertz has Arsenal on brink of last 16 after Dinamo Zagreb victory | OneFootball

Arsenal boosted their chances of direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb thanks to Kai Havertz.

The Gunners started matchweek seven top of a host of players on 13 points, inside the top eight. Now, they sit third on 16 points, three points clear of ninth-placed Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta’s men only need a draw from their final game against Girona to secure their spot in the last 16, skipping the knockout round play-offs. But they had to work hard for their victory against Dinamo Zagreb.

Havertz has received a lot of criticism at Arsenal this season. The German has been utilised both as a striker and a central midfielder, with his success varying.

When Havertz has started up front, comments are often made about Arsenal’s need for an natural goalscorer. The Gunners are always being linked with a move for a striker. And this January has been no different.

Confidence has been the biggest problem for Havertz at times, and his head dropped at times against Dinamo Zagreb. Which is strange when you consider he scored and assisted in a single Champions League game for the first time in his career. This is a man who’s scored a winning goal in a Champions League final, still making firsts.

The assist came in the opening minutes, at it was a lovely one. With his back towards goal, Havertz cushioned a ball into the box neatly into the path of Declan Rice who rifled home. He could have created another chance in the first half too, with another cute touch to a teammate. But Raheem Sterling couldn’t get a shot away, wasting the opportunity presented to him by Havertz.

In front of goal, Havertz continued to struggle. In the first half, he had three shots, two off target and one blocked. He also had a goal-bound shot that didn’t technically count as he was ruled offside.

So, at half-time, it looked like we would be getting more of the same for Arsenal. Dominance without putting teams away, with just two shots on target from 11 in the first half. There were 40 minutes between their first and second efforts on target.

This was despite Martin Odegaard doing all he could to unlock the Dinamo Zagreb defence. The Norwegian created five chances against Dinamo Zagreb, all coming in the first half. He’s the first Arsenal player to create five chances in the first half of a Champions League match since Aaron Ramsey against Galatasaray in December 2014. But there was no assist.

In the end, it was Gabriel Martinelli who provided Arsenal’s second, scored by Havertz. It was a lovely ball into the box, headed in by Havertz, the sort of chance the German has missed so many times in recent games.

Despite talks of his struggles, Havertz has now scored 14 goals for Arsenal across all competitions in 30 games. He’s already matched the tally he hit in 51 games last season. Four of those goals have come in the Champions League, another career high in a single season in the competition.

London has played a big part in Havertz’s goalscoring record this season, with 12 of his 14 goals coming in the capital. Unfortunately for Havertz, next week’s game against Girona is in Spain. But his influence on Wednesday has Arsenal on the brink of the last 16, with Odegaard adding a third in injury time.

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