please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Wednesday 22nd January 2025 KO time: 20:00 GMT Overall Record Wins: 3 Losses: 1 Draws: 0 Last six meetings Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Dinamo Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb 0-3 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
So many base-price £44 tickets on the exchange for this, open to all reds which doesn't happen often. Not going to be a good atmosphere is it.
It shouldn't have been made a Category B fixture. With the greatest of respect, it's Dinamo Zagreb at home. And we've not exactly been playing well of late, so somewhat reduces incentive to go against opposition we're expected to beat comfortably.
Rice! 1-0! Martinelli does really well, he whips it in to Havertz, who is slightly off balance and lays it off to Rice who smashes it home. Great start in the opening minutes.
Really good football again by Arsenal, some lovely 1-2s and combination play leads to Odegaard playing through Rice on goal and his goal bound shot is blocked by a last ditch tackle.
Dinamo Zagreb have a rare chance to counter due to us carelessly losing possession in the middle. Gabriel gets back in time to block the cross/shot.
Gabriel should have scored from that Odegaard corner. He was under a bit of pressure, but that should have been on target.
Argh Havertz. He needs to take that first time. Jorginho plays a lovely ball over the top to Havertz, who's in on goal and he controls it, but doesn't go for goal. He wanted too long.
We've played ourselves into trouble a couple of times in the last few minutes. We're fortunate that we've had enough players to get back in time because Dinamo could have been in there. Need to fix up again.
When we have the ball, it's very frustrating because we keep playing 'safe' passes outside the block, rather than passes into half spaces where we can turn and drive at their defence. It's not like we haven't got players operating in these zones, either. Too many times, we keep shifting the ball wide or whipping crosses in rather than trying to go through them.
HT. 1-0. Very average performance after a really bright opening 20 minutes. We're just too predictable and too methodical. There's no quick, incisive passes around the corner, or through balls for players to get in behind. We are largely 'in control', but again, the longer the scoreline stays 1-0, the longer we will be relying on our defence to be spotless. This horseshoe shape we keep playing in is very frustrating. And it's not working. Dinamo have pretty much dealt with all our crosses and most of our corners. If this is all we're going to do, then they'll have a pretty comfortable second half. We need to be better. It's all very 'meh'.
I tell you what, these Zagreb players are taking their sweet time every time they get a foul awarded.
2-0! Havertz. Martinelli whips in a delicious ball on a sixpence and Havertz rises highest to head home and double our lead.
Great tracking back from Martinelli to prevent the cross from going in. He's had an excellent game tonight.
Nwaneri whips in an excellent, Saka-style cross and Rice, who is free in the box, gets his header horribly wrong. Should have been 3.
