Arsenal on verge of knockout stage as Havertz ensures win over Dinamo Zagreb

Job done for Mikel Arteta. After the week he’s had, the last thing the Arsenal manager would have wanted was another frantic finale to a home fixture. For much of this contest, after Declan Rice had fired the hosts in front after only 72 seconds, it seemed Arsenal may have to go the distance as they huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a second goal to see off a spirited Dinamo Zagreb side managed by defensive master Fabio Cannavaro.

A collective sigh of relief greeted the second goal from Kai Havertz when it eventually came 20 minutes before the end as Martin Ødegaard added a third late on to virtually assure Arsenal will finish in the top eight and avoid the need for a playoff next month. With a warm weather training camp in Dubai lined up instead after their early exit from the FA Cup, it could do Arteta’s weary squad the world of good in the long run.

While their progress in this competition has been pretty smooth so far, there was a reminder of supporters’ frustrations with Arsenal’s mixed fortunes in the Premier League when it was revealed that a message had been added to a mural outside the ground featuring co-chair Josh Kroenke and former midfielder Santi Cazorla. “Time to splash some cash Josh,” it read. Kroenke was watching on from the stands as, in the continued absence of William Saliba, Arteta handed Oleksandr Zinchenko only his fourth start of the season and recalled Jakub Kiwior to his defence, with Raheem Sterling replacing Leandro Trossard in attack.

Dinamo have recovered well from the 9-2 mauling they suffered against Bayern Munich in their opening match and recorded both of their victories so far away from home to still be in with a realistic chance of qualification. But having not played competitively since mid-December because of the winter break in their domestic league and under the command of the former Italy defender Cannavaro for the first time since he replaced Nenad Bjelica, it was perhaps no surprise they took time to find their feet.

Arteta had urged his players to take out the frustrations of their draw here against Aston Villa on Saturday and they took him at his word. Little more than a minute had passed when they found a way through Dinamo’s defence after Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was teed up expertly inside the area by Kai Havertz for Rice to lash into the net. Rice and Gabriel Magalhães could not take further opportunities, with the Brazilian defender somehow missing the target from a corner routine that led to a mass of mocking arms being waved by the boisterous travelling supporters behind the goal.

Cannavaro - who won the Ballon d’Or in 2006 after captaining Italy to their World Cup triumph - helped Udinese escape relegation from Serie A last season and also briefly managed China’s national team. He had described this beforehand as the “biggest match of my coaching career” but could only watch from afar as Arsenal kept up an incessant pace. Sterling and Havertz should have both done better, with a last-ditch tackle from Raúl Torrente denying the former when the goal was gaping.

A mix-up between David Raya and Kiwior almost gifted Dinamo their first sight of goal 10 minutes before half-time until Havertz was able to intercept and turn defence into attack. It required a last-ditch tackle from Sammy Mmaee to deny Martinelli at the other end as, despite all their dominance, Arsenal failed to extend their lead.

Sterling went into the book at the start of the second half after struggling to spring on to a through-ball and proceeded to clatter into Maxime Bernauer instead. He was joined by Jurrien Timber soon after as Dinamo succeeded in disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm. Arteta turned to Ethan Nwaneri to provide some inspiration off the bench and the 17-year-old was given a rousing reception when he replaced Sterling, having missed the last three weeks due to a muscle injury. But it was Martinellli who was the architect of their second goal when he cut in from the left flank and picked out Havertz for a simple header that helped to settle his manager’s nerves.

It was the 500th goal Arsenal have scored since Arteta took over as manager five years ago and Ødegaard made it 501 in stoppage time as he swept home a cross from Trossard to all but ensure their presence in the knockout stages for a second season in a row after losing in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich last year.