Arsenal are on the brink of securing a bye into the Champions League Round of 16 after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium.
The win propels the Gunners to 16 points with one game left to play, leaving them well-positioned to skip the play-offs and avoid two additional fixtures next month.
With a packed schedule and a mounting injury list, manager Mikel Arteta made four changes to the side that drew with Aston Villa at the weekend to keep his squad fresh.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s absence forced a reshuffle, with Oleksandr Zinchenko slotting in at left-back, while Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, and Raheem Sterling were also introduced.
This adjustment allowed Declan Rice to adopt a more advanced role in midfield—a decision that bore fruit just two minutes into the game.
Capitalizing on Kai Havertz’s deft layoff, Rice fired home with precision to register his first Champions League goal, marking Arsenal’s fastest strike in the competition since November 2014.
Despite creating multiple chances to extend their lead, the hosts were unable to capitalize as Gabriel Magalhaes missed a promising header, and Zinchenko, Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli all saw their efforts thwarted.
Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb posed a sporadic threat through Martin Baturina, gaining confidence as Arsenal’s play became increasingly careless towards the end of the first half.
The second half mirrored the first, with Arsenal struggling to maintain control early on.
However, the visitors’ lack of clinical finishing proved costly. Havertz then sealed the result by heading in a superb cross from Martinelli just after the hour mark, effectively putting the game beyond Zagreb’s reach.
Unlike their recent slip-up against Villa, Arsenal maintained their composure with a 2-0 lead and even added a third in injury time, courtesy of Martin Odegaard.
With this convincing performance, the Gunners head to Girona next week for the final group-stage match, virtually assured of a spot in the last 16.
