Arsenal took a commanding step towards securing their spot in the Champions League knockout stages with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday night. The win virtually guarantees the Gunners a top-eight finish in the inaugural season of the competition’s revamped 36-team group phase format.
Midfielder Declan Rice, who opened the scoring on the night, had glowing praise for the new Champions League structure. “It’s been really, really good. It’s the first time trying it out and I think everyone was a little bit confused how it would work when it first got announced, but playing in this format has been really interesting,” Rice stated after the match.
“Playing big teams, coming up against different opposition, I’ve really liked it.”
– Declan Rice on the new Champions League format
Arteta Remains Cautious Despite Strong Position
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stopped short of fully confirming advancement, but acknowledged the club’s favorable standing. “We haven’t been told. I know we’re in a really strong position,” Arteta remarked, as his side stretched their unbeaten run at home in European competition to an impressive 15 games.
Comprehensive Performance Fuels Optimism
The Spanish tactician had plenty of positives to highlight from the convincing win over the Croatian champions. “Overall, we got the job done and well done. We didn’t concede a shot on target which is really positive again. It shows that the team is really well-rounded,” Arteta analyzed. “Overall, scoring three goals, winning in the Champions League at home, another clean sheet at home – four in a row – and having made some changes as well.”
Squad Rotation Proves Effective
Arteta’s decision to rotate his lineup paid off handsomely, as he gave minutes to players who have featured less prominently this season. “We rotated players that didn’t play that many minutes and they responded really well,” he noted with satisfaction.
Havertz Continues Goal-Scoring Form
German international Kai Havertz maintained his excellent goal-scoring form, netting Arsenal’s second of the evening to take his tally to an impressive 14 in all competitions. Martin Ødegaard then added a third in stoppage time to seal the resounding victory.
Winter Break on the Horizon
By likely avoiding the Champions League playoff round, Arsenal can look forward to a much-needed winter break. Arteta views this as a golden opportunity to recharge batteries and fine-tune tactics.
“It was very helpful [last season] and with the schedule that we’ve had for the last three months, you can have a break, reset a little bit and work on things and rest some people, while some people are back, that would be great.”
– Mikel Arteta on the benefits of a winter break
The Gunners are already out of the FA Cup, which resumes in early February, so advancement in the Champions League would align perfectly with some deserved time off for the squad. As Arsenal march towards the Champions League knockout rounds, there is a palpable buzz around the Emirates Stadium. The new format has injected fresh excitement and unpredictability into the competition, and the Arsenal faithful will be dreaming of a deep European run. With their spot in the last-16 all but mathematically secured, Arteta’s men can attack the closing group stage matches with freedom and confidence.
