Kai Havertz scores landmark Arsenal goal to all but seal top-eight place - 5 talking points

ARSENAL 3-0 DINAMO ZAGREB: Declan Rice scored aft 104 seconds earlier Kai Havertz netted the 500th extremity of Mikel Arteta's clip successful complaint and Martin Odegaard added a precocious third

Declan Rice acceptable Arsenal connected people for the past 16 by scoring their fastest Champions League extremity since 2014.

Mikel Arteta's broadside beryllium 3rd successful the array connected 16 points and look Girona distant successful the last circular of games adjacent Wednesday with lone an improbable bid of results ruling them retired of the apical eight.

Midfielder Rice drove successful a first-time decorativeness aft 104 seconds pursuing Kai Havertz's astute assist.

And Havertz past headed location midway done the 2nd fractional for the 500th extremity of the Arteta epoch earlier Martin Odegaard made it 3-0 successful added time.

Rice was besides pelted with a fig of missiles from Dinamo fans arsenic helium lined up to instrumentality country kicks with riot constabulary drafted successful during the 2nd half.

Havertz stars

Not a atrocious evening of centre-forward play from Havertz.

With his archetypal interaction helium laid disconnected cleverly for Rice to slam location the opener and aft plentifulness of much bully link-up play the Germany planetary roseate precocious to caput location Gabriel Martinelli's transverse and guarantee it would beryllium a precise comfortable, if chilly nighttime successful northbound London.

This has been a hard spell for Havertz but successful each competitions helium present has 14 goals.

Sterling impact

This was amended from Raheem Sterling.

His struggles since arriving connected indebtedness from Chelsea person been good documented but fixed the accidental to commencement again helium embarked connected a mates of trademark runs that were not acold from producing a decisive moment.

Sterling was booked aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional for a precocious situation but could helium possibly statesman to flourish should the opportunities look much predominant during Bukayo Saka ’s continued absence? On this grounds bash not wholly regularisation it retired

New format

It has taken 7 rounds of fixtures and a big of instantly forgettable games but the caller format is opening to instrumentality signifier and adjacent with 16 points Arsenal are inactive not 100 per cent definite of a spot successful the apical eight.

They volition lone autumn to ninth if determination is simply a singular succession of results successful adjacent week’s last acceptable of fixtures opening with a decision distant to Girona.

Yet determination is genuine jeopardy to beryllium recovered elsewhere crossed the array and for 1 nighttime lone determination promises to beryllium plentifulness of drama.

Mercifully for Arteta, the Gunners volition not beryllium cardinal to it.

Kiwior conundrum

Ian Wright suggested earlier this crippled that Arteta simply does not fancy Jakub Kiwior aft the Poland planetary was near retired against Aston Villa connected Saturday and Jurrien Timber was utilized astatine centre backmost instead.

But Kiwior was catapulted backmost successful against Dinamo arsenic the right-sided centre back.

And portion it was not the astir demanding of evenings for Kiwior, who has been linked with a determination distant contempt determination being small substance, helium acquitted himself alternatively well.

Dinamo fans

On the 2 occasions Rice ventured to instrumentality a country during the archetypal fractional helium was pelted with missiles by travelling fans with 1 of the astir fearsome reputations crossed the continent.

Dinamo ultras had been banned from attending immoderate European distant games past play aft a Greek teen was stabbed to decease earlier they faced AEK Athens successful August 2023.

And successful 2022 determination was wide condemnation, positive a fine, erstwhile immoderate were seen making Nazi salutes earlier facing AC Milan astatine San Siro.

But those reprimands person intelligibly done small to calm a boisterous group.

Shortly aft Havertz headed location Arsenal's 2nd extremity astatine slightest 30 constabulary dressed successful riot cogwheel rushed into the distant extremity and formed an further enactment of segregation betwixt location fans.

Dinamo fans were besides seen throwing missiles implicit the constabulary and into the absorption of location supporters.

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