Arsenal 3-2 Kairat Almaty: Champions League report, result, goals

Kai Havertz scored on his first start for 357 days as Arsenal completed a perfect eight-match league-phase campaign in the 2025/26 Champions League by beating Kairat Almaty at the Emirates Stadium.

Martinelli adds a third for Arsenal after VAR review ⚽️@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/aYgBnFlPcb

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

On his full return from injury, Germany forward Havertz needed less than two minutes to slip in Viktor Gyokeres for the Sweden striker’s fourth goal in his last four Champions League appearances, entering the penalty area and firing in.

Kai Havertz scores on his return to the Arsenal starting line up 💪@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LPqWAuLy4C

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

Kairat, who had already been eliminated, replied in the seventh minute when Jorginho converted a penalty after being brought down by Riccardo Calafiori, but Havertz curled in from inside the box eight minutes later.

Viktor Gyökeres fires Arsenal into the lead against Kairat 🔥@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/kQxi8T8vK1

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

Gabriel Martinelli added Arsenal’s third with a tap-in nine minutes from half-time that survived a Video Assistant Referee check, and Ricardinho replied for Kairat with a 94th-minute header.

The Gunners finished top of the standings, having already been assured of a place in the last 16.

Arsenal vs Kairat: Havertz returns in Champions League win

Among 11 Arsenal changes, the return of Havertz was perhaps an easy decision for coach Mikel Arteta to make in a match containing little jeopardy.

Arteta even had the luxury of replacing Havertz at half-time as his team cruised to victory, making them the second English side ever to win eight or more consecutive games in Champions League history, after Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who won 10 straight matches between May 2023 and March 2024.

There will be tougher tests ahead as Arsenal attempt to eclipse their run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, and this was also something of a tonic for their three-game winless run in the Premier League, comprising 0-0 draws at home to Liverpool and away to Nottingham Forest and a late 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.

Arsenal are next in action away to Leeds United in the league on Saturday (15:00 GMT) before hosting Chelsea with a 3-2 advantage in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on February 3 (20:00).

Win 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣: secured ☑️

Pulling up a double century of victories for Mikel ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2acoDshCbQ

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 28, 2026

Arsenal team vs Kairat Almaty

Kai Havertz and Kepa started for Arsenal, but defenders William Saliba and Jurrier Timber were injured and Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Martín Zubimendi, David Raya, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino all at 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 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

Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty stats

• Arsenal have won all of their Champions League matches in the league phase
• The Gunners had conceded just two goals in the competition before this game
• Kairat have collected one point from their Champions League campaign
• Arsenal have scored at least three goals in four European matches this season

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.