Arsenal on verge of knockout stage as Havertz ensures win over Dinamo Zagreb

Job finished for Mikel Arteta. After the week he’s had, the very last thing the Arsenal supervisor would have needed was one other frantic finale to a house fixture. For a lot of this contest, after Declan Rice had fired the hosts in entrance after solely 72 seconds, it appeared Arsenal might must go the space as they huffed and puffed however couldn’t discover a second aim to see off a spirited Dinamo Zagreb aspect managed by defensive grasp Fabio Cannavaro.

A collective sigh of aid greeted the second aim from Kai Havertz when it will definitely got here 20 minutes earlier than the tip as Martin Ødegaard added a 3rd late on to just about guarantee Arsenal will end within the prime eight and keep away from the necessity for a playoff subsequent month. With a heat climate coaching camp in Dubai lined up as an alternative after their early exit from the FA Cup, it may do Arteta’s weary squad the world of excellent in the long term.

Whereas their progress on this competitors has been fairly easy thus far, there was a reminder of supporters’ frustrations with Arsenal’s blended fortunes within the Premier League when it was revealed {that a} message had been added to a mural exterior the bottom that includes co-chair Josh Kroenke and former midfielder Santi Cazorla. “Time to splash some money Josh,” it learn. Kroenke was watching on from the stands as, within the continued absence of William Saliba, Arteta handed Oleksandr Zinchenko solely his fourth begin of the season and recalled Jakub Kiwior to his defence, with Raheem Sterling changing Leandro Trossard in assault.

Dinamo have recovered effectively from the 9-2 mauling they suffered towards Bayern Munich of their opening match and recorded each of their victories so far-off from house to nonetheless be in with a practical probability of qualification. However having not performed competitively since mid-December due to the winter break of their home league and below the command of the previous Italy defender Cannavaro for the primary time since he changed Nenad Bjelica, it was maybe no shock they took time to search out their toes.

Arteta had urged his gamers to take out the frustrations of their draw right here towards Aston Villa on Saturday they usually took him at his phrase. Little greater than a minute had handed once they discovered a means via Dinamo’s defence after Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was teed up expertly inside the realm by Kai Havertz for Rice to lash into the web. Rice and Gabriel Magalhães couldn’t take additional alternatives, with the Brazilian defender by some means lacking the goal from a nook routine that led to a mass of mocking arms being waved by the boisterous travelling supporters behind the aim.

Cannavaro – who received the Ballon d’Or in 2006 after captaining Italy to their World Cup triumph – helped Udinese escape relegation from Serie A final season and likewise briefly managed China’s nationwide crew. He had described this beforehand because the “largest match of my teaching profession” however may solely watch from afar as Arsenal stored up an incessant tempo. Sterling and Havertz ought to have each finished higher, with a last-ditch sort out from Raúl Torrente denying the previous when the aim was gaping.

A mixture-up between David Raya and Kiwior virtually gifted Dinamo their first sight of aim 10 minutes earlier than half-time till Havertz was in a position to intercept and switch defence into assault. It required a last-ditch sort out from Sammy Mmaee to disclaim Martinelli on the different finish as, regardless of all their dominance, Arsenal failed to increase their lead.

Sterling went into the e book in the beginning of the second half after struggling to spring on to a through-ball and proceeded to clatter into Maxime Bernauer as an alternative. He was joined by Jurrien Timber quickly after as Dinamo succeeded in disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm. Arteta turned to Ethan Nwaneri to supply some inspiration off the bench and the 17-year-old was given a rousing reception when he changed Sterling, having missed the final three weeks attributable to a muscle harm. But it surely was Martinellli who was the architect of their second aim when he reduce in from the left flank and picked out Havertz for a easy header that helped to settle his supervisor’s nerves.

It was the five hundredth aim Arsenal have scored since Arteta took over as supervisor 5 years in the past and Ødegaard made it 501 in stoppage time as he swept house a cross from Trossard to all however guarantee their presence within the knockout levels for a second season in a row after shedding within the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich final yr.