Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb: Declan Rice's first Champions League goal helps Gunners to the verge of last-16 qualification
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Plenty has been made of Arsenal’s apparent need to sign a new striker in recent days. Yet Kai Havertz, the man Mikel Arteta entrusted to lead the line for his team this season, notched his 14th of the season here on Wednesday night. There are those at Arsenal who will argue the club’s requirement for a new centre-forward isn’t as pressing as the naysayers will have you believe.
Havertz’s numbers make for a pretty compelling argument to that end. Here at the Emirates, the Germany international noticed Arsenal’s second of the night as Arteta’s side secured a crucial win over Dinamo Zagreb to virtually secure their automatic passage into the Champions League knockout rounds.
Of course, it is no secret that Arsenal are working actively in the market with a view to signing a new forward this month. Whether they can successfully land one of their leading targets remains to be seen. Regardless, any new striker will have his work cut out to better Havertz’s strike rate.
The disappointment of dropping two points against Aston Villa on Saturday lingered here ahead of kick off. Time will tell how costly throwing away that 2-0 lead becomes. Nevertheless, those Premier League setbacks have become all too frequent for the Gunners this season.
Thankfully, their form in the Champions League has been rather more consistent. Victory against against Dinamo Zagreb would have seen the Gunners take a giant step towards automatic qualification for the knockout stages of the competition. Their night started with a bang; ahead inside two minutes - Declan Rice hammering home on the half-volley after Kai Havertz cushioned Gabriel Martinelli’s square pass.
