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I know the wounds from the Manchester United defeat are still gaping, but here we are back in the Champions League, with barely enough time to dress said wounds.

A win against Kairat, would most certainly put us on the road to recovery.

Kairat sit bottom of the Champions League table, and haven’t won a single game. This could be quite the morale boosting demolition, IF… we put them to the sword, like we’re supposed to.

Arteta will most certainly make changes, and even though football isn’t played on paper… on paper… we’re supposed to destroy this team, regardless of our starting line-up.

After the defeat to YANITED, I felt we may need to try something different. Maybe tweak the system slightly, and give other players, an extended run in the team. Be more adventurous in our play, and sacrifice our possession based football, for being more direct.

Allow our attacking players, to express themselves more.

As we’ve practically already won the league phase of the Champions League, THIS is the perfect game, for experimentation… and I hope Mikel Arteta, sees it the same way.

Let’s have our Kairat Cake, and eat it too. (HAHAHA)

It was a much changed lineup, with Kepa in goal… Lewis-Skelly at left-back, Calafiori, and Mosquera, in central defence… and Ben White at right-back.

The midfield trio was, Eze, Norgaard, and Havertz.

Up front, it was Martinelli on the left, Gyokeres through the middle, and Madueke on the right.

A more than capable team, to invoke destruction, and restore pride.

It only took 2 minutes for us to take the lead… after a great through ball from Havertz, found Gyokeres… and he took a touch, fought off the defender, and his finish was clinical. 1-0 to the Arsenal!!

I thought to myself, here we go… the demolition is underway. Calafiori though, had other ideas, and he gave away a needless penalty in the 5^th minute.

I was absolutely FURIOUS!!! I couldn’t believe we shot ourselves in the foot, YET AGAIN!!

Why do we hate our feet so much?!?!

Anywhoooo… Monteiro scored the resulting penalty for Kairat, and made it 1-1 (Unfortunately)

We responded brilliantly, and were zipping the ball around. It was abundantly clear, that Kairat were inferior opposition.

The Emirates surface was pleased, to have such football played upon it.

In the 15^th minute, Benny Blanco played a sumptuous pass, with the outside of his right boot, from deep inside his own half… up to Kai Havertz.

Havertz charging towards the box, cut in from the right, moved the ball onto his left foot, and capitalised on the space Gyokeres created for him… and smashed the ball home.

A great move, and an even better finish. 2-1 to the Arsenal!!! It was good see Kai Havertz looking so sharp, and getting on the scoresheet, after such a torrid time with injuries.

In the 36^th minute, Benny Blanco was involved again… when he carried the ball towards their box, laid it off to Norgaard, who flicked the ball first time, into the path of Gyokeres.

Gyokeres cut the ball back across goal, and Martinelli tapped the ball in from close range.

The goal was initially chalked off for offside, but after an intervention from VAR, the goal was given. That’s 6 goals for Martinelli now, in 8 Champions League games. He’s been excellent, in this first phase of the competition.

Demolition, well and truly, back on. 3-1 to the Arsenal!!

Every time we went forward, we looked like scoring, but some wayward finishing, prevented us from increasing our goals tally.

The first half finished 3-1 to The Gunners.

Arteta made half-time changes… and brought on Odegaard for Havertz, and Hincapie, for Calafiori.

Both Havertz, and Calafiori, have just come back from injury, so the changes made sense.

We continued to dominate the opposition, but it was evident that The Gunners, had forgotten how to shoot. We were locked, but we weren’t loaded. We missed chance, after chance, after chance.

Yes we played a second string team, but missing chances that we should be burying, is becoming a theme… and I’m concerned, because against better teams… we may pay dearly for our carelessness, in front of goal.

Gabriel Jesus replaced Gyokeres in the 77^th minutes, and 17 year old forward, Brando Bailey-Joseph, replaced Martinelli.

A wonderful moment for Bailey-Joseph, and his family… and credit to Arsenal’s academy.

More time passed, more chances were squandered, and more frustration slapped me in the face.

In the 88^th minute Jesus put the ball in the net, after a decent move, but it was ruled out for offside.

The 89^th minute saw the Arsenal academy hailed again, with the introduction of 18 year old midfielder, Ife Ibrahim. Brilliant for him, and his family.

Just as I was accepting the 3-1 scoreline, in the 94^th minute of injury time… Ricardinho headed the ball in, after a good cross, and some sloppy defended from us.

The score now, 3-2… and that’s how the game finished. 3-2 to The Arsenal… But it should’ve been so much more.

As frustrating as it was though, to concede 2 goals , and not score more goals of our own… the result made it 8 wins from 8 in the Champions League, and it was also Mikel Arteta’s 200^th win as Arsenal manager.

Incredible achievement, and it’d be nice to top off all of these records, with the big-eared trophy.

We’re away to Leeds United next, in the Premier League. We’ll have to deal with the hostile Elland Road crowd, and take ALL 3 points!! COYG!!

First things first though, do you agree with my match analysis?

Were there signs that Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres, have an understanding on the pitch, and should play together more?

Are you concerned about the number of chances that we’re missing?

Let me know in the comments as usual, and thanks for reading!