Arsenal star Kai Havertz was Player of the Match (Picture: Getty)
Kai Havertz scored on his first start in a year as Arsenal completed a perfect Champions League group campaign with a 3-2 win over Kairat.
The Gunners finished a flawless league phase top of the pace with eight wins from eight and having conceded just four goals, two of which were scored by Kazakh minnows Kairat.
It took the Premier League leaders just two minutes to break Kairat’s resistance as Gyokeres scored his fourth goal of the competition.
The visitors were back level through Jorginho’s penalty but Havertz’s first goal since February and Gabriel Martinelli’s tap-in put Arsenal in control.
Kairat scored a consolation goal late on through Ricardinho but were unable to deny Arsenal an eighth successive European victory and top-spot in the Champions League.
Despite only playing 45 minutes, Havertz was named the Player of the Match after starring in a midfield role in his first competitive start in 357 days.
Mikel Arteta is a known admirer of the Germany international and many Arsenal fans urged the manager to start Havertz in the Premier League following his impressive return.
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Viktor Gyokeres also scored in the win over Kairat (Picture: Getty)
Havertz made his first return to action earlier in the month but Arteta confirmed after the Kairat win that he is now ready to start games.
That could put serious pressure on Arsenal’s £64m summer signing Gyokeres, who has largely underwhelmed at the Emirates Stadium despite enjoying success in the Champions League.
Gyokeres was impressed by Havertz’s display – insisting he ‘performed great’ – but said there was room for improvement from the team as a whole.
Mikel Arteta reflects on reaching his 200th win as Arsenal manager 👏@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK | @LiamMacdevitt pic.twitter.com/j18xzJXz04— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026
‘I think we started well, apart from the penalty that we gave away, and then yeah, I think we scored some nice goals, created some good opportunities to score even more,’ Gyokeres told Arsenal’s official website.
‘Then I think we could’ve done much better in the second half. We weren’t playing as fast and as direct as in the first half, and yeah, I think that’s why we didn’t score in the second half.
‘It’s a great feeling to score goals, and to help the team. I think we could’ve performed better overall in the game, but of course I’m always happy with scoring.
Havertz celebrates his first goal in almost a year (Picture: Getty)
‘It was great to have Kai back, and he performed great this game, even though he only played 45, so yeah, it went really well, I think.’
Many Arsenal fans took to social media during and after the win over Kairat to express their desire for Havertz to start and replace Gyokeres in the team going forward.
The Gunners, hoping to win their first Premier League title since 2004, return to domestic action on Saturday against Leeds United.
Arsenal’s next five fixtures
Leeds United vs Arsenal (Saturday 31st January) – Premier League
Arsenal vs Chelsea (Tuesday 3rd February) – Carabao Cup
Arsenal vs Sunderland (Saturday 7th February) – Premier League
Brentford vs Arsenal (Thursday 12th February) – Premier League
Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic (Sunday 15th February) – FA Cup
Asked about Havertz’s importance after Arsenal’s final Champions League group game, Arteta said: ‘We realised straight away how much we missed him.
‘What he brings to the team, his creativity, what he links with people, his intuition in front of goal as well so very, very happy to have him.’
On Arsenal’s European progress as a whole, Arteta added: ‘Especially in this competition, we are in the position that we wanted to be.
‘We won eight games out of eight which is so difficult to do, so credit to the boys. We close this chapter now and we can focus on other competitions.
‘It gives you certain privilege, to play two less games and the home advantage in the second round so we just have to wait and see now who we get in the next phase.
‘We will prepare that with a lot of enthusiasm because it is a competition that we love.’
Arsenal’s four possible Champions League last-16 opponents are Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Olympiakos.
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