MIKEL ARTETA’S wannabe Samba boys have all but guaranteed themselves a Champions League knock-out spot – and maybe some winter sunshine next month.
Arsenal boss Arteta had his squad train with Brazilian music blaring through speakers on the side of their London Colney training pitches on Tuesday afternoon as a source of inspiration.
PAArsenal welcomed Dinamo Zagreb to the Emirates for their penultimate Champions League group stage match[/caption]
EPADeclan Rice broke the deadlock in only the second minute of the match[/caption]
ReutersKai Havertz made sure of the victory with a 66th minute header[/caption]
Yet this was not a night for thrills and spills – Declan Rice’s second-minute strike and Kai Havertz’s second half header lighting up a tame Emirates showcase against Fabio Cannavaro’s quality-lacking Dinamo Zagreb.
It was not pretty, but the Gunners are sitting that way with one game left in this new league phase, up into third on 16 points and with goal difference that makes a top eight finish very nearly a cert.
Next week’s trip to Girona provides little jeopardy, so Arsenal can plan for the last 16 in March.
By avoiding the February play-offs – on top of not being involved in the FA Cup fourth round that month too – Arteta is considering using the free days for a warm-weather winter break.
And from the looks of it, this Arsenal bunch are in dire need of recharging some batteries if they are to challenge for trophies domestically and in Europe.
With William Saliba’s hamstring troubles and defensive duo Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly missing training in the build-up, Arteta opted for four changes from the disappointing 2-2 draw with Aston Villa here last weekend.
Pole Jakub Kiwior filled in at centre back, while Oleksandr Zinchenko filled in at left-back – a bold choice considering he is linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund this month.
Regardless, this was a mighty test for new Zagreb boss Cannavaro – his first match in charge of the Croats after being appointed on December 29, with only a few friendlies under his belt.
GETTYMartin Odegaard bagged a much-needed goal in stoppage time to make it 3-0[/caption]
The 2006 World Cup-winning Italian defender – nine years older than Arteta at 51 – is known for his safety-first, handbrake-firmly-on approach in management.
Those plans were blown out of the water inside the first two minutes as Gabriel Martinelli drove and crossed from out wide for Havertz and the German teed up Rice to volley in with anger.
Flashbacks of that club-record 9-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in their league phase opener in Munich back in September must have been an unwanted replay in the minds of the Zagreb players.
Rice continued to be in the thick of things.
The rowdy travelling fans had come up with a novel way of disrupting Arsenal’s corner routines – pelting the England midfielder with plastic cups before he could take one.
The visitors needed all the dirty tricks they could get, given their competition-high tally of seven goals conceded from set-pieces and up against one of the continent’s very best dead-ball specialists.
Zagreb unsurprisingly were struggling to get a sniff against a side yet to concede from open play in this Champions League campaign.
Arsenal were also comfortable with ball at feet, albeit wasteful.
While January transfer target Benjamin Sesko had netted earlier in the day for Red Bull Leipzig, Arteta’s current No.9 Havertz passed up several chances to shoot inside the box.
His defenders were making the Spanish coach wince too as Kiwior and Jurrien Timber took it in turns to fumble on the ball inside their own half.
Having blown a 2-0 lead against Villa, Arteta would not let lightning strike twice.
After Timber and Raheem Sterling were booked within six minutes of the second half, they were both subbed off.
Zagreb were still hanging on, and then they were not.
Havertz rose highest to nod in Martinelli’s inviting 66th minute cross – Arsenal’s 500th goal under Arteta.
Goal number 501 came in stoppage time courtesy of tap-in from skipper Martin Odegaard.
Who needs a striker? Well, Arsenal do – desperately.
Crocked pair Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus must have watched this one wondering how many goals they could have gobbled up.
For now, with an eighth Champions League home clean sheet since the start of last season, Arteta’s defence are dragging them forward.
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