Arsenal v Kairat Almaty: Confirmed starting lineups in Champions League

Arsenal can complete a perfect eight-match league-phase campaign in the 2025/26 Champions League when Kairat Almaty visit the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The Premier League side have already secured qualification for the knockout stage and know that a draw would confirm a first-place finish, while Kairat arrive in North London having been eliminated.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been one of the standout performers in the competition, producing a series of dominant displays that have underlined their credentials as genuine contenders.

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Their latest European outing saw them claim an impressive win at  Inter Milan, where their clinical finishing in the final third proved decisive.

Here’s how the two sides line up.

Arsenal team news vs Kairat Almaty

As expected Mikel Arteta has made plenty of changes, with Kai Havertz starting in midfield and Kepa getting a game in goal. William Saliba and Jurriën Timber are injured, while Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Martín Zubimendi, David Raya, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino all sit out.

Arsenal starting XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Kai Havertz, Christian Norgaard, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke

Arsenal substitutes: Tommy Setford, Piero Hincapie, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Martín Zubimendi, Ife Ibrahim, Jack Porter, Brando Bailey-Joseph, Marli Salmon

Kairat team news vs Arsenal

Kairat Almaty starting XI: Temirlan Anarbekov, Egor Sorokin, Aleksandr Martynovich, Aleksandr Shirobokov, Luis Mata, Adilet Sadybekov, Dan Glazer, Erkin Tapalov, Jorginho, Edmilson, Aleksandr Mrynskiy

Kairat Almaty substitutes: Damir Kasabulat, Lev Kurgin, Jug Stanojev, Danila Buch, Valeri Gromyko, Sherkhan Kalmurza, Ramazan Bagdat, Ricardinho

How to watch Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty: TV channel, online stream

Arsenal versus Kairat kicks off at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT) on Wednesday. In the UK, the match is on TNT Sports 2 and can be streamed via the Discovery Plus app.

To watch elsewhere in the world, click HERE to find your local rights holder.

Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty stats

• Arsenal have won all of their Champions League matches in the league phase
• The Gunners have conceded just two goals in the competition so far
• Kairat have collected one point from their Champions League campaign
• Arsenal have scored at least three goals in four European matches this season
• Kairat have failed to score in four of their six league-phase fixtures

When is the Champions League knockout phase?

Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026
Final: May 30 2026 (Budapest)

When are the Champions League draws?

Knockout phase play-offs: January 30 2026
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: February 27 2026

Champions League 2025/26 format

In a change from the previous group stage format conducted until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.

Four of those matches will be at home and four away, with the opponents determined according to four seeding pots split by rankings.

Teams will play two opponents from each of those pots – one against a team from each pot at home and one away. The results decide the overall standings in one league.

The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.

Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.

English teams in the Champions League: Why are there six clubs?

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all qualified as the top five teams in the Premier League.

There were five places for English teams because extra positions are awarded based on Uefa’s co-efficient rankings, which are based on the overall performances of nations across European competition over a season.

Spurs qualified as Europa League champions, despite losing 22 and winning only 11 of their 2024/25 league games and finishing 17th.

When is the Champions League final?

The final will take place on May 30 2026 at the The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is home to Hungary’s national team.

The arena hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Arsenal Champions League squad 2025/26

Arsenal’s List A Champions League squad has been registered until the round of 16 in February 2026, when clubs can register a maximum of three new players within the existing limit of 25.

Goalkeepers: David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Tommy Setford

Defenders: William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Piero Hincapie, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori

Midfielders: Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Christian Norgaard, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus

List B submissions, comprised of players born after January 1, 2004 who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday, can also be made until midnight before each match.