UEFA Champions League League Stage - 8

Arsenal 3 - 2 FT Kairat Almaty

Emirates Stadium

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100
FT
Wed, Jan 28
Arsenal
3-2
Kairat Almaty
⚡ Intensity 79
⚖️ Balance 77
🏆 Stakes 98
🎲 Upset 0
Gunners survive late Almaty goal scare.

Gunners Survive Late Almaty Surge to Maintain Perfect Record

Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 100/100. Arsenal cement their dominance at the top of the standings while Kairat Almaty showed unexpected grit in a five-goal Champions League spectacle.

The Opening Act

The atmosphere at Emirates Stadium crackled with expectation as Arsenal sought to extend their flawless continental run. The home side wasted no time asserting their authority, dictating the early Intensity with slick, vertical passing that immediately pushed the Kazakh visitors onto the back foot. It took only three minutes for the breakthrough to arrive, as Kai Havertz turned provider for V. Gyokeres to slot home from close range. However, the script took an unexpected turn shortly after when the visitors were awarded a penalty against the run of play. Jorginho, stepping up for Kairat Almaty, showed nerves of steel to convert from the spot in the seventh minute. This sudden parity did little to dampen the North London spirits, as the Gunners continued to suffocate their opponents with high-pressing tactics, forcing a desperate defensive shell.

The Pivot

The game's Balance shifted decisively back in favour of the hosts during a clinical twenty-minute spell that showcased their superior technical quality. Ben White provided the ammunition with a pinpoint delivery that allowed Havertz to restore the lead in the 15th minute, capably demonstrating why the German remains a focal point of this attacking system. Arsenal then turned the final third into a shooting gallery, unleashing a barrage of 21 shots throughout the evening to overwhelm the opposition. The pressure told again before the break when G. Martinelli converted a pass from Gyokeres to make it 3-1. Dominating possession with a commanding 68%, Mikel Arteta’s men looked to have extinguished any hope of a comeback. The midfield trio, anchored by the disciplined Christian Nørgaard, controlled the tempo and denied Almaty any meaningful exit routes.

Resolution

The closing stages introduced a layer of late drama that few anticipated given the Stakes of the lopsided encounter. Gabriel Jesus thought he had added a fourth in the 88th minute, but a VAR review for offside denied the Brazilian his moment of celebration. This reprieve galvanised the visitors, who had been pinned back for the majority of the half. Deep into stoppage time, Ricardinho capitalised on a rare lapse in concentration, converting a V. Gromyko assist to reduce the deficit to 3-2. While the final whistle brought relief to the home fans, the result ensures Arsenal remain at the summit of the table with a perfect record. For Almaty, despite the defeat, the late goal provided a glimmer of pride in an otherwise difficult campaign that sees them struggling at the bottom of the league phase standings.

Key Questions

What made Kai Havertz the Man of the Match?

Havertz registered a goal and an assist, creating four key passes in a creative masterclass that dictated the attacking tempo throughout the match.

What caused the 5-goal thriller?

An early goal flurry involving Gyokeres and Jorginho, combined with a late Ricardinho strike, turned a dominant Arsenal performance into a close result.

What does this mean for Arsenal's season?

Arsenal remain perfect at the top of the table with eight wins from eight, reinforcing their position as primary favourites for the Champions League title.

How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?

The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.

Match Statistics

Possession
68%
32%
Arsenal 68%
Kairat Almaty 32%
Shots
21
3
Arsenal 21
Kairat Almaty 3
Shots on Target
9
1
Arsenal 9
Kairat Almaty 1
Expected Goals (xG)
3.81
0.83
Arsenal 3.81
Kairat Almaty 0.83
Passes
571
268
Arsenal 571
Kairat Almaty 268
Pass Accuracy
88%
68%
Arsenal 88%
Kairat Almaty 68%
Corners
10
0
Arsenal 10
Kairat Almaty 0
Fouls
13
10
Arsenal 13
Kairat Almaty 10
Yellow Cards
1
1
Arsenal 1
Kairat Almaty 1
Red Cards
0
0
Arsenal 0
Kairat Almaty 0

Match Events

3' V. Gyokeres (K. Havertz)
6' 🟨 R. Calafiori
Jorginho 7'
15' K. Havertz (B. White)
36' G. Martinelli (V. Gyokeres)
HT
46' 🔄 K. Havertz M. Odegaard
46' 🔄 R. Calafiori P. Hincapie
Edmilson Santos V. Gromyko 🔄 59'
E. Tapalov Ricardinho 🔄 59'
Jorginho 🟨 69'
L. Mata L. Kurgin 🔄 70'
D. Glazer D. Kasabulat 🔄 70'
77' 🔄 G. Martinelli B. Bailey-Joseph
77' 🔄 V. Gyokeres Gabriel Jesus
Jorginho R. Bagdat 🔄 79'
88' Gabriel Jesus
89' 🔄 C. Norgaard I. Ibrahim
Ricardinho (V. Gromyko) 90'+3
FT

Player Cards

Season performance ratings for players in this match

Arsenal

Goalkeepers
Kepa Arrizabalaga
NPC
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
13%
Pass Acc
6.3
Rating
Defenders
Ben White
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
0
Contribution
0
Contribution
8
Rating
Yes
Captain
Cristhian Mosquera
MAGNET
MAGNET
86
Activity
86
Activity
78
Passes
8
Duels
Riccardo Calafiori
FRIENDLY FIRE
FRIENDLY FIRE
0
Mistake
0
Mistake
2
Fouls
5.9
Rating
Myles Lewis-Skelly
ARCHITECT
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
65%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Kai Havertz
SNIPER
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Christian Nørgaard
WALL
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
2
Tackles
80%
Duel Win %
Eberechi Eze
ARCHITECT
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
49%
Pass Acc
Forwards
Noni Madueke
MAGNET
MAGNET
58
Activity
58
Activity
42
Passes
16
Duels
Viktor Gyökeres
ARCHITECT
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
8%
Pass Acc
Gabriel Martinelli
ARCHITECT
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
22%
Pass Acc
BENCH
Tommy Setford
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Jack Porter
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Piero Hincapié
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Marli Salmon
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Gabriel Magalhães
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Martin Ødegaard
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Martín Zubimendi
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Ife Ibrahim
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Gabriel Jesus
CAMEO
CAMEO
12
Minutes
12
Minutes
2
Touches
None
Events
Bukayo Saka
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Leandro Trossard
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Brando Bailey-Joseph
CAMEO
CAMEO
12
Minutes
12
Minutes
2
Touches
None
Events

Kairat Almaty

Goalkeepers
Temirlan Anarbekov
WALL
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
1
Tackles
100%
Duel Win %
Defenders
Aleksandr Shirobokov
NPC
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
27%
Pass Acc
6
Rating
Aleksandr Martynovich
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
5
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Egor Sorokin
NPC
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
26%
Pass Acc
6.3
Rating
Midfielders
Erkin Tapalov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Dan Glazer
NPC
NPC
70
Minutes
70
Minutes
16%
Pass Acc
6.3
Rating
Adilet Sadybekov
NPC
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
25%
Pass Acc
6.7
Rating
Luís Mata
SWEEPER
SWEEPER
2
Cleanups
2
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Forwards
Aleksandr Mrynskiy
SWEEPER
SWEEPER
1
Cleanups
1
Cleanups
1
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Edmilson
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Jorginho
SNIPER
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
BENCH
Danila Buch
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Sherkhan Kalmurza
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Lev Kurgin
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Damir Kasabulat
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Valeriy Gromyko
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
4
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Jug Stanojev
CAMEO
CAMEO
0
Minutes
0
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events
Ricardinho
CLUTCH HERO
CLUTCH HERO
0
Goal Time
0
Goal Time
0
Impact
6.9
Rating
Ramazan Bagdat
CAMEO
CAMEO
10
Minutes
10
Minutes
0
Touches
None
Events

League Standings

Pos Team P Pts GF GA GD Form
1 Arsenal 8 24 23 4 +19 WArsenal 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty (28-01-2026)WInter 1 - 3 Arsenal (20-01-2026)WClub Brugge KV 0 - 3 Arsenal (10-12-2025)WArsenal 3 - 1 Bayern München (26-11-2025)WSlavia Praha 0 - 3 Arsenal (04-11-2025)
2 Bayern München 8 21 22 8 +14 WPSV Eindhoven 1 - 2 Bayern München (28-01-2026)WBayern München 2 - 0 Union St. Gilloise (21-01-2026)WBayern München 3 - 1 Sporting CP (09-12-2025)LArsenal 3 - 1 Bayern München (26-11-2025)WParis Saint Germain 1 - 2 Bayern München (04-11-2025)
3 Liverpool 8 18 20 8 +12 WLiverpool 6 - 0 Qarabag (28-01-2026)WMarseille 0 - 3 Liverpool (21-01-2026)WInter 0 - 1 Liverpool (09-12-2025)LLiverpool 1 - 4 PSV Eindhoven (26-11-2025)WLiverpool 1 - 0 Real Madrid (04-11-2025)
4 Tottenham 8 17 17 7 +10 WEintracht Frankfurt 0 - 2 Tottenham (28-01-2026)WTottenham 2 - 0 Borussia Dortmund (20-01-2026)WTottenham 3 - 0 Slavia Praha (09-12-2025)LParis Saint Germain 5 - 3 Tottenham (26-11-2025)WTottenham 4 - 0 FC Copenhagen (04-11-2025)
5 Barcelona 8 16 22 14 +8 WBarcelona 4 - 1 FC Copenhagen (28-01-2026)WSlavia Praha 2 - 4 Barcelona (21-01-2026)WBarcelona 2 - 1 Eintracht Frankfurt (09-12-2025)LChelsea 3 - 0 Barcelona (25-11-2025)DClub Brugge KV 3 - 3 Barcelona (05-11-2025)
6 Chelsea 8 16 17 10 +7 WNapoli 2 - 3 Chelsea (28-01-2026)WChelsea 1 - 0 Pafos (21-01-2026)LAtalanta 2 - 1 Chelsea (09-12-2025)WChelsea 3 - 0 Barcelona (25-11-2025)DQarabag 2 - 2 Chelsea (05-11-2025)
7 Sporting CP 8 16 17 11 +6 WAthletic Club 2 - 3 Sporting CP (28-01-2026)WSporting CP 2 - 1 Paris Saint Germain (20-01-2026)LBayern München 3 - 1 Sporting CP (09-12-2025)WSporting CP 3 - 0 Club Brugge KV (26-11-2025)DJuventus 1 - 1 Sporting CP (04-11-2025)
8 Manchester City 8 16 15 9 +6 WManchester City 2 - 0 Galatasaray (28-01-2026)LBodo/Glimt 3 - 1 Manchester City (20-01-2026)WReal Madrid 1 - 2 Manchester City (10-12-2025)LManchester City 0 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen (25-11-2025)WManchester City 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund (05-11-2025)
9 Real Madrid 8 15 21 12 +9 LBenfica 4 - 2 Real Madrid (28-01-2026)WReal Madrid 6 - 1 Monaco (20-01-2026)LReal Madrid 1 - 2 Manchester City (10-12-2025)WOlympiakos Piraeus 3 - 4 Real Madrid (26-11-2025)LLiverpool 1 - 0 Real Madrid (04-11-2025)
10 Inter 8 15 15 7 +8 WBorussia Dortmund 0 - 2 Inter (28-01-2026)LInter 1 - 3 Arsenal (20-01-2026)LInter 0 - 1 Liverpool (09-12-2025)LAtletico Madrid 2 - 1 Inter (26-11-2025)WInter 2 - 1 Kairat Almaty (05-11-2025)
11 Paris Saint Germain 8 14 21 11 +10 DParis Saint Germain 1 - 1 Newcastle (28-01-2026)LSporting CP 2 - 1 Paris Saint Germain (20-01-2026)DAthletic Club 0 - 0 Paris Saint Germain (10-12-2025)WParis Saint Germain 5 - 3 Tottenham (26-11-2025)LParis Saint Germain 1 - 2 Bayern München (04-11-2025)
12 Newcastle 8 14 17 7 +10 DParis Saint Germain 1 - 1 Newcastle (28-01-2026)WNewcastle 3 - 0 PSV Eindhoven (21-01-2026)DBayer Leverkusen 2 - 2 Newcastle (10-12-2025)LMarseille 2 - 1 Newcastle (25-11-2025)WNewcastle 2 - 0 Athletic Club (05-11-2025)
13 Juventus 8 13 14 10 +4 DMonaco 0 - 0 Juventus (28-01-2026)WJuventus 2 - 0 Benfica (21-01-2026)WJuventus 2 - 0 Pafos (10-12-2025)WBodo/Glimt 2 - 3 Juventus (25-11-2025)DJuventus 1 - 1 Sporting CP (04-11-2025)
14 Atletico Madrid 8 13 17 15 +2 LAtletico Madrid 1 - 2 Bodo/Glimt (28-01-2026)DGalatasaray 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid (21-01-2026)WPSV Eindhoven 2 - 3 Atletico Madrid (09-12-2025)WAtletico Madrid 2 - 1 Inter (26-11-2025)WAtletico Madrid 3 - 1 Union St. Gilloise (04-11-2025)
15 Atalanta 8 13 10 10 0 LUnion St. Gilloise 1 - 0 Atalanta (28-01-2026)LAtalanta 2 - 3 Athletic Club (21-01-2026)WAtalanta 2 - 1 Chelsea (09-12-2025)WEintracht Frankfurt 0 - 3 Atalanta (26-11-2025)WMarseille 0 - 1 Atalanta (05-11-2025)
16 Bayer Leverkusen 8 12 13 14 -1 WBayer Leverkusen 3 - 0 Villarreal (28-01-2026)LOlympiakos Piraeus 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen (20-01-2026)DBayer Leverkusen 2 - 2 Newcastle (10-12-2025)WManchester City 0 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen (25-11-2025)WBenfica 0 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen (05-11-2025)
17 Borussia Dortmund 8 11 19 17 +2 LBorussia Dortmund 0 - 2 Inter (28-01-2026)LTottenham 2 - 0 Borussia Dortmund (20-01-2026)DBorussia Dortmund 2 - 2 Bodo/Glimt (10-12-2025)WBorussia Dortmund 4 - 0 Villarreal (25-11-2025)LManchester City 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund (05-11-2025)
18 Olympiakos Piraeus 8 11 10 14 -4 WAjax 1 - 2 Olympiakos Piraeus (28-01-2026)WOlympiakos Piraeus 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen (20-01-2026)WKairat Almaty 0 - 1 Olympiakos Piraeus (09-12-2025)LOlympiakos Piraeus 3 - 4 Real Madrid (26-11-2025)DOlympiakos Piraeus 1 - 1 PSV Eindhoven (04-11-2025)
19 Club Brugge KV 8 10 15 17 -2 WClub Brugge KV 3 - 0 Marseille (28-01-2026)WKairat Almaty 1 - 4 Club Brugge KV (20-01-2026)LClub Brugge KV 0 - 3 Arsenal (10-12-2025)LSporting CP 3 - 0 Club Brugge KV (26-11-2025)DClub Brugge KV 3 - 3 Barcelona (05-11-2025)
20 Galatasaray 8 10 9 11 -2 LManchester City 2 - 0 Galatasaray (28-01-2026)DGalatasaray 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid (21-01-2026)LMonaco 1 - 0 Galatasaray (09-12-2025)LGalatasaray 0 - 1 Union St. Gilloise (25-11-2025)WAjax 0 - 3 Galatasaray (05-11-2025)
21 Monaco 8 10 8 14 -6 DMonaco 0 - 0 Juventus (28-01-2026)LReal Madrid 6 - 1 Monaco (20-01-2026)WMonaco 1 - 0 Galatasaray (09-12-2025)DPafos 2 - 2 Monaco (26-11-2025)WBodo/Glimt 0 - 1 Monaco (04-11-2025)
22 Qarabag 8 10 13 21 -8 LLiverpool 6 - 0 Qarabag (28-01-2026)WQarabag 3 - 2 Eintracht Frankfurt (21-01-2026)LQarabag 2 - 4 Ajax (10-12-2025)LNapoli 2 - 0 Qarabag (25-11-2025)DQarabag 2 - 2 Chelsea (05-11-2025)
23 Bodo/Glimt 8 9 14 15 -1 WAtletico Madrid 1 - 2 Bodo/Glimt (28-01-2026)WBodo/Glimt 3 - 1 Manchester City (20-01-2026)DBorussia Dortmund 2 - 2 Bodo/Glimt (10-12-2025)LBodo/Glimt 2 - 3 Juventus (25-11-2025)LBodo/Glimt 0 - 1 Monaco (04-11-2025)
24 Benfica 8 9 10 12 -2 WBenfica 4 - 2 Real Madrid (28-01-2026)LJuventus 2 - 0 Benfica (21-01-2026)WBenfica 2 - 0 Napoli (10-12-2025)WAjax 0 - 2 Benfica (25-11-2025)LBenfica 0 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen (05-11-2025)
25 Marseille 8 9 11 14 -3 LClub Brugge KV 3 - 0 Marseille (28-01-2026)LMarseille 0 - 3 Liverpool (21-01-2026)WUnion St. Gilloise 2 - 3 Marseille (09-12-2025)WMarseille 2 - 1 Newcastle (25-11-2025)LMarseille 0 - 1 Atalanta (05-11-2025)
26 Pafos 8 9 8 11 -3 WPafos 4 - 1 Slavia Praha (28-01-2026)LChelsea 1 - 0 Pafos (21-01-2026)LJuventus 2 - 0 Pafos (10-12-2025)DPafos 2 - 2 Monaco (26-11-2025)WPafos 1 - 0 Villarreal (05-11-2025)
27 Union St. Gilloise 8 9 8 17 -9 WUnion St. Gilloise 1 - 0 Atalanta (28-01-2026)LBayern München 2 - 0 Union St. Gilloise (21-01-2026)LUnion St. Gilloise 2 - 3 Marseille (09-12-2025)WGalatasaray 0 - 1 Union St. Gilloise (25-11-2025)LAtletico Madrid 3 - 1 Union St. Gilloise (04-11-2025)
28 PSV Eindhoven 8 8 16 16 0 LPSV Eindhoven 1 - 2 Bayern München (28-01-2026)LNewcastle 3 - 0 PSV Eindhoven (21-01-2026)LPSV Eindhoven 2 - 3 Atletico Madrid (09-12-2025)WLiverpool 1 - 4 PSV Eindhoven (26-11-2025)DOlympiakos Piraeus 1 - 1 PSV Eindhoven (04-11-2025)
29 Athletic Club 8 8 9 14 -5 LAthletic Club 2 - 3 Sporting CP (28-01-2026)WAtalanta 2 - 3 Athletic Club (21-01-2026)DAthletic Club 0 - 0 Paris Saint Germain (10-12-2025)DSlavia Praha 0 - 0 Athletic Club (25-11-2025)LNewcastle 2 - 0 Athletic Club (05-11-2025)
30 Napoli 8 8 9 15 -6 LNapoli 2 - 3 Chelsea (28-01-2026)DFC Copenhagen 1 - 1 Napoli (20-01-2026)LBenfica 2 - 0 Napoli (10-12-2025)WNapoli 2 - 0 Qarabag (25-11-2025)DNapoli 0 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt (04-11-2025)
31 FC Copenhagen 8 8 12 21 -9 LBarcelona 4 - 1 FC Copenhagen (28-01-2026)DFC Copenhagen 1 - 1 Napoli (20-01-2026)WVillarreal 2 - 3 FC Copenhagen (10-12-2025)WFC Copenhagen 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty (26-11-2025)LTottenham 4 - 0 FC Copenhagen (04-11-2025)
32 Ajax 8 6 8 21 -13 LAjax 1 - 2 Olympiakos Piraeus (28-01-2026)WVillarreal 1 - 2 Ajax (20-01-2026)WQarabag 2 - 4 Ajax (10-12-2025)LAjax 0 - 2 Benfica (25-11-2025)LAjax 0 - 3 Galatasaray (05-11-2025)
33 Eintracht Frankfurt 8 4 10 21 -11 LEintracht Frankfurt 0 - 2 Tottenham (28-01-2026)LQarabag 3 - 2 Eintracht Frankfurt (21-01-2026)LBarcelona 2 - 1 Eintracht Frankfurt (09-12-2025)LEintracht Frankfurt 0 - 3 Atalanta (26-11-2025)DNapoli 0 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt (04-11-2025)
34 Slavia Praha 8 3 5 19 -14 LPafos 4 - 1 Slavia Praha (28-01-2026)LSlavia Praha 2 - 4 Barcelona (21-01-2026)LTottenham 3 - 0 Slavia Praha (09-12-2025)DSlavia Praha 0 - 0 Athletic Club (25-11-2025)LSlavia Praha 0 - 3 Arsenal (04-11-2025)
35 Villarreal 8 1 5 18 -13 LBayer Leverkusen 3 - 0 Villarreal (28-01-2026)LVillarreal 1 - 2 Ajax (20-01-2026)LVillarreal 2 - 3 FC Copenhagen (10-12-2025)LBorussia Dortmund 4 - 0 Villarreal (25-11-2025)LPafos 1 - 0 Villarreal (05-11-2025)
36 Kairat Almaty 8 1 7 22 -15 LArsenal 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty (28-01-2026)LKairat Almaty 1 - 4 Club Brugge KV (20-01-2026)LKairat Almaty 0 - 1 Olympiakos Piraeus (09-12-2025)LFC Copenhagen 3 - 2 Kairat Almaty (26-11-2025)LInter 2 - 1 Kairat Almaty (05-11-2025)