Arsenal become the first team to win all eight league-phase games in the Champions League after a 3-2 win
ARSENAL have made Champions League history by becoming the first team to win all eight matches in the competition’s league phase.
The Gunners secured top spot with a 3-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on Wednesday. Mikel Arteta’s side had already qualified for the last 16 and have guaranteed home advantage in the second leg of any knockout tie.
“I am very proud of the players and the run that we have had in the first stage of the competition,” Arteta said. “It is very difficult to win eight games in a row in the Champions League.”
The match saw a goalscoring return for Kai Havertz, who made his first start in nearly a year after an injury-hit period. Havertz assisted Viktor Gyokeres’s opener after two minutes and later scored his first goal of the season.
Jorginho equalised for Kairat from the penalty spot before Havertz restored Arsenal’s lead. The German then provided the cross for Gabriel Martinelli to make it 3-1, with Ricardinho scoring a late consolation for the tournament debutants.
Arteta highlighted Havertz’s importance for the remainder of the campaign. “The team knows how important Kai is for us,” he said. “The fact that he was able to do that today after such a long time was very impressive.”
