When Mikel Arteta glanced at the Arsenal schedule, Kairat Almaty at home will have seemed tailor-made for one man: Kai Havertz.
The slow, steady reintroduction of Havertz after a torrid five months out battling a knee injury was the objective – and it worked a treat.
A goal and an assist, the German languidly ran rings around the Kazakh outfit, enjoying a first start since February 5 last year.
More pertinently, the gulf in class between Havertz, who played in midfield on Wednesday night, and Viktor Gyokeres was marked.
The Swede could have, and should have, had a hat-trick in the first half after squandering numerous chances.
Once Havertz achieves full fitness, which he is not at yet, who Arteta’s No 1 striker will be is luminous.
Kai Havertz scored a goal and provided an assist in his first Arsenal start since February 2025
With a Champions League last-16 spot already secured for the Gunners, this match had a sense of fun about it in comparison to the other nerve-jangling ties on offer.
Gyokeres put the north London club ahead with a bustling run forward to finish Havertz’s well-timed through ball.
With just two minutes gone, the opening of floodgates seemed ominous.
There was to be a big surprise shortly after, though, Jorginho winning a penalty for Kairat. Riccardo Calafiori had needlessly pulled down the forward, and he sent Kepa Arrizabalaga the wrong way to equalise.
For a team that had travelled 3,504 miles, their fans rightly made the most of this goal, celebrating it in the manner of a last-minute winner.
You could not blame them – the Gunners had only conceded two goals in their previous seven European matches, which included Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid among their opponents.
That was to be short lived, though, Havertz getting on the scoresheet with a neat cut in before curling the ball past goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov.
The German later played a cross to Gyokeres, who managed to get a toe on the ball but not enough to prod home. Luckily for him, Gabriel Martinelli was on hand to tap it in.
Gyokeres had further chances. Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cross to him was put over from yards out, and then his chip over the keeper was hooked off the line.
For a man bought to answer Arsenal’s striker woes, such profligacy is not good enough.
Ricardinho struck with an injury-time header to give the visiting fans a further moment to cheer wildly.
Anyhow, the Gunners finish with eight wins from eight matches, the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League. Good luck to their last-16 opponent.
