EMIRATES STADIUM — For a team that has frequently made life difficult for themselves in the Premier League this season, Arsenal have made light work of the Champions League group stage.
A potentially tricky test away at Girona next week is now virtually a dead rubber, meaning domestic matters can take full precedence for Arsenal until mid-March.
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Read More“It’s a crucial month. We have nine games in this period, a tough period. We’re happy with today, but we have to go to Wolves and we know how difficult that will be,” Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports afterwards.
That was important given Myles Lewis-Skelly became the newest member of the injury squad on Wednesday, although Ethan Nwaneri’s return has at least replenished the numbers in attack.
Arteta will still be eager to have a new forward in place before the transfer window quietly closes, with Wolves’ Matheus Cunha a target. But goals for Havertz and Martin Odegaard on Wednesday will give them a timely boost.
Part of Uefa’s rationale for expanding the Champions League group stage format from 32 teams to 36 (yes it was about the €€€ but let’s just pretend otherwise for a second) was that it would provide more opportunities to clubs from smaller leagues to compete on the big stage.
Unsurprisingly Dinamo’s winter friendlies against Lech Poznan and Jagiellonia Bialystok proved insufficient preparation for facing a Premier League heavyweight.
His first game didn’t get off to the best start, though, with Arsenal scoring less than two minutes after kick-off. It had a playground quality to it: cross into the box, first-time set, half-volley smash. Gabriel Martinelli to Kai Havertz to Declan Rice, who celebrated with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a schoolboy netting the winner in a county cup final.
Declan Rice fires in an early opening goal for Arsenal
Clinical forward play!
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Despite Arsenal’s dominance, the second goal was a long time coming. They registered 11 shots on goal in the first half, but only two on target with Gabriel Magalhaes guilty of the most glaring miss. Rice, who looks to be getting back to his best form, also spurned a gilt-edged opportunity after the restart with the scoreline 1-0.
After setting up the first Havertz converted the second midway through the second half, nodding authoritatively in after being picked out by Martinelli’s booming cross to the back post.
Kai Havertz scores Arsenal's second of the night
A cracking ball from Gabriel Martinelli
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“It shows the perspective against the reality sometimes, that’s what it shows. Good stat,” said Arteta.
The Arsenal skipper’s celebration was a giveaway that he has endured a barren run of late; he smashed the ball back into the net in relief, getting his studs temporarily caught in the netting.
With the last-16 in touching distance and Havertz and Odegaard rediscovering their penalty box instincts, it was a good night for Arteta and Arsenal, putting a spring in their step ahead of much tougher tests.
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