Arsenal player ratings vs Dinamo Zagreb: Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli move Gunners into touching

Arsenal player ratings vs Dinamo Zagreb: Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli move Gunners into touching distance of Champions League last 16 – but Raheem Sterling endures another stinker

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Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb

Mikel Arteta’s side moved back up to third in the European standings on a straightforward night at the Emirates

Arsenal all but guaranteed themselves a top-eight finish in the Champions League league phase with a comfortable 3-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

A draw in their final game against Girona next week will be enough to secure passage straight through to the last 16 after goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard saw off the Croatian champions in north London.

Rice’s crisp finish after just two minutes opened the scoring for Mikel Arteta’s side and, after seeing a number of chances go begging, Havertz added a second when he headed home from Gabriel Martinelli’s ball in before Odegaard turned in Leandro Trossard’s cross in stoppage-time.

GOAL rates Arsenal’s players from Emirates Stadium…

Goalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (6/10):

A spectator for most of the night. Spent most of his time running around trying to keep warm.

Jurrien Timber (6/10):

Looked a bit tired at times, which is hardly surprising given the minutes he’s played. Booked.

Jakub Kiwior (6/10):

Comfortable enough in the right centre-back role. Almost caught out once in the first half, but aside from that he was solid enough.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

Missed a golden chance to make it 2-0 with a header from Odegaard’s corner. Untroubled at the back.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (7/10):

Good showing on just his fourth start of the season. Saw plenty of the ball and used it well. Produced some lovely touches as

Midfield

Jorginho (7/10):

Pulled the strings in the midfield. Played some lovely balls over the top that his team-mates should have done better with.

Declan Rice (7/10):

As clean a strike as you will see the score his first Champions League goal. Strong performance, excellent set-piece delivery as always.

Martin Odegaard (7/10):

Drifted in and out of the game. Not able to get on the ball enough in dangerous areas, but did get a goal late on after a nice late run into the box.

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Attack

Raheem Sterling (4/10):

His disappointing spell in an Arsenal shirt continued. Nothing he tried really paid off. Another tough night for the Chelsea loanee.

Kai Havertz (7/10):

Classic Havertz game. Good link-up play as the central striker, including his assist for Rice’s goal. His finishing wasn’t the best, but he did pop up with a nice header to make it 2-0.

Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

Arsenal’s biggest threat. Great early run to help set up the goal for Rice, and was always lively as he knew he had the beating of his full-back. Great ball in for Havertz to make it 2-0.

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Subs & Manager

Thomas Partey (6/10):

Brought on to give Timber a much needed rest.

Ethan Nwaneri (7/10):

His arrival certainly lifted the crowd, which was needed. Great ball in which Rice should have scored from.

Kieran Tierney (6/10):

Provided some energy for the final 15 minutes

Leandro Trossard (6/10):

Good ball in for Odegaard to score late on.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (N/A):

On in injury-time to make his senior debut.

Mikel Arteta (7/10):

Used his subs well. Will be delighted with an easy night’s work.

Arsenal all but secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb at Emirates Stadium.

Only a heavy defeat in Girona next week will prevent the Gunners – who are third – finishing in the top eight places and therefore bypassing the play-off stage of the competition.

Arsenal took the lead in the second minute when Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was cushioned into Declan Rice’s path by Kai Havertz and the England midfielder hammered the ball past Zagreb keeper Ivan Nevistic.

Havertz added a second on 66 minutes – the 500th goal under manager Mikel Arteta – when he headed in a curling Martinelli cross before captain Martin Odegaard bundled in a third late on.

Zagreb barely ventured into the Arsenal half and captain Arijan Ademi shot well over from distance with one of their few efforts.

The Gunners could have scored more – Rice had a shot blocked after a clever Odegaard pass while centre-back Gabriel headed wide from the edge of the six-yard-box from a corner.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb (Havertz, 66)

Nerves settled as Arsenal finally get their second!

Martinelli whips a gorgeous in-swinging cross from the left which is begging to be nodded home, and Kai Havertz duly obliges.

The Gunners take another stride towards the last-16 of the Champions League with a landmark goal of Mikel Arteta’s reign.

Second Half: Arsenal 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb

As it stands: Arsenal all but secure of last-16 spot | Teams | Stats

Havertz heads in Arsenal’s second from wicked Martinelli cross View post

Rice smashed home Arsenal’s opener inside two minutes

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Dinamo (Rice, 2)

What a start for Arsenal!

Sensational attacking play from the Gunners and Martinelli breaks down the left and finds Havertz with a cross in the Dinamo area.

He superbly cushions the ball back into the path of Declan Rice, who lashes an unstoppable volley into the back of the net.

One minute and 45 seconds on the clock and Arsenal are already in front

Dinamo Zagreb team news

Starting XI: Nevistic, S. Ristovski, Mmaee, Torrente, Pierre-Gabriel, Ademi, Bernauer, Rog, Stojkovic, Kulenovic, Baturina.

Subs: Zagorac, Filipvic, Kacavenda, Hoxha, Cordoba, Pjaca, Mbuku, Misic, Bakovic, Cutuk, Pavic, Spikic.

Arsenal team news

Starting XI: Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Jorginho, Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli.

Subs: Neto, Setford, Tierney, Partey, Trossard, Merino, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia, Kacurri, Nwaneri.