Arsenal avoid the pitfalls of European rivals with cruise through Champions League

Arsenal do as much as they can, which means it is close to impossible for anyone else to do enough to prevent their safe passage into the Champions League last eight. Uefa are hoping for what might be a satisfyingly wild night next Wednesday, but some of it does sound a little absurd.

If Arsenal fail to get a point in Girona, all of Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, AS Monaco, Lille, Brest and Feyenoord would have to win by massive margins to have any chance of forcing them into the play-offs.

In short, they’re there, as was always expected before this 3-0 victory over a dogged Dinamo Zagreb. The game really became about correcting a few ongoing issues in the team, and the only thing Mikel Arteta could really have had any quibble with was that they could have taken more chances given recent goal-shyness. The manner of the goals – by Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and a first in months for Martin Odegaard – was nevertheless encouraging.

It also fit with their general approach to this inaugural expanded group stage. As strange as it has often seemed, there is the genuine potential for glorious chaos, a situation served by the packed calendar itself. It has created multiple issues at many big clubs, especially in terms of injuries which has created increased unpredictability in the opening stage. Hence the difficulties of Manchester City, who are now actually level on points with Dinamo Zagreb.

The system works if the wealthiest clubs collapse. There was none of that with Arsenal, despite all of their recent issues.

The only residual complaint from this was that they didn’t score more, but 3-0 ended up healthy enough.

Rice’s strike was supremely taken, and just precisely what Arsenal need more of. There was a cleanness to it that they could do with developing, no angst, no rush. Arteta would idealise that smoothness back in their attack. As the ball dropped in the area, Rice guided it into the net with a powerful drive on the volley. It should have been the set-up for much more, really, but there were two complications. One was Arsenal missing the next few chances, which seemed to just deplete early momentum. The other was Dinamo really putting it in.

The Croatian side worked hard to ensure this was never going to be a repeat of their 9-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on the season’s opening night, even though Rice’s goal would have felt ominous. Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro’s side have developed a real canniness in Europe since then, as a glance at their results would illustrate. Before this, they’d only conceded one goal on the road outside that Bayern game. A 3-0 defeat like this, and an identical scoreline against Borussia Dortmund, is entirely understandable given the financial gulf. It’s even to their credit. A final game at home to Milan might be a bridge too far to make the top 24, but they will give it a go, as they did here. It’s incredible enough to say they are on the same level as City.

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Class eventually started to tell in north London, which those at Arsenal might say is especially the case for Havertz. He continued his recovery from his recent difficult spell with a second goal in consecutive games. It could actually have been more, in truth, but no one would really blame him for Ivan Nevistic’s fine second-half save. There was then the plundering quality of the finish. Gabriel Martinelli swung an inviting and curving ball in for Havertz to leap and head the ball past the goalkeeper.

Job done, he soon made his way off for Leandro Trossard to make his 100th appearance for the club.

Odegaard then crowned it with his first goal since a 5-2 win over West Ham United at the end of November.

Arsenal have, ultimately, made minimum fuss of this phase, which is more than can be said for many of their rivals. That shouldn’t be overlooked in a season like this. They can instead look to the last 16, and a satisfyingly high seeding.