After seven wins in a row, we’re looking to round off our Champions League league phase campaign with a perfect record as we face Kairat Almaty at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday (8pm UK time).
We secured a top-two finish with a game to spare by beating Inter Milan 3-1 at the San Siro last week, ensuring the second leg of our knockout fixtures will be played at Emirates Stadium.
Having made history in Italy by achieving our longest Champions League winning run, we will break more ground in N5 by facing a side from Kazakhstan for the very first time.
history makers
Kairat Almaty started their Champions League campaign on July 8, 2025, in the first qualifying round against Slovenian outfit Olimpija Ljubljana. A dramatic fightback then knocked out Finland side KuPS, and a penalty shootout win against Slovan Bratislava set up a play-off round contest with Celtic for a spot in the UCL group stage for the first time in their history.
Two goalless draws against the Scottish champs saw the game go to penalties, where the Kazakhstan Premier League champions won 3-2 to reach the league phase.
Since reaching the main event, Kairat have faced a host of Europe’s finest, despite their league season ending in October, meaning European fixtures are their only competitive action. Having faced 15-time winners Real Madrid and last season’s finalists, Inter Milan, Kairat have one point from seven games, which came in a 0-0 draw with Cypriot side Pafos, meaning they have been eliminated from the competition.
However, elimination won’t dampen the spirits of the Kairat fans, who will be travelling over 4,200 miles to descend on Emirates Stadium for a first-ever away match against English opposition.
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Everything you need to know about Kairat Almaty
what the managers say
Arteta: Well, obviously, it’s the Champions League, so every opponent is very tough because they are very used to winning. That’s first of all. Obviously, the conditions that they are coming are special because of where they are in the domestic league as well.
“Looking back at the games that they played against Real Madrid or Inter, for example, I watched both of them. They make it very, very difficult for them. So tomorrow we expect a very similar game. We have to be at our best because we want to win the game again and we’ll go for it.” – read every word from Mikel’s pre-match press conference.
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Every word from Mikel Arteta’s pre-Kairat presser
Urazbakhtin: “I don’t have to motivate any of my players for this amazing game. We don’t often have the chance to play top teams like this.
“They’re raring to go but remain calm and want to show their best tomorrow.”
team news
After picking up their third yellow cards of the Champions League league phase against Inter, both Mikel Merino and Declan Rice will be suspended for our home match against Kairat. Christian Norgaard is the only player one yellow card away from a one-match ban. Yellow card accumulation is wiped at the end of the quarter-final stage.
Mikel Arteta also confirmed that defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba are out of the match against the Kazakhstan team, adding: “They have some niggles and it’s a good opportunity now that we make a different kind of work with them to get them in the best possible conditions so that we can help them.” Max Dowman also remains out.
Kairat’s most promising player is 17-year-old Dastan Satpaev, who will join Chelsea this summer, but he is a doubt for a first taste of English opposition as he sat out last week’s 4-1 loss to Club Brugge through injury.
Recent signings Lucas Africo, Jaakko Oksanen and Sebastian Zeballos are all ineligible.
talking tactics
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: From a relatively low block base, Kairat will want to play a containing game before looking to hurt us on the break. Diminutive forward Jorginho is especially dangerous from those situations, firing off more shots from fast breaks than any of his teammates. The Portuguese played as a No.10 last time out.
When they do get onto the front foot, Kairat can turn defence into attack at speed. Moving the ball directly, only two Champions League sides are averaging more successful long passes than the Kazaks. 10 of their 75 shots in the competition have also stemmed from high turnovers, so do not be surprised if they sometimes steal the ball high up the pitch.
Kairat have only made two errors leading to shots, which is a testament to their organisation and discipline, but they do find it difficult to stem the tide when it comes to protecting their goalkeeper. Facing more shots on target than any of the other 35 league phase outfits, it is little wonder they have conceded 19 goals in seven matches.
Understandably, they have found it hard to contain top-class opponents, leaking five at home to Real Madrid and four against Brugge and Sporting, respectively.
facts and stats
This will be our first meeting with Kairat. We haven’t lost any of the last 11 occasions when facing a team for the first time in European competition, winning 10 of those (D1), since a defeat against Rennes in March 2019 in the Europa League.
We have won all seven of our Champions League games this season by a 2+ goal margin. No team in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history has ever won eight in a row by 2+ goals.
Kairat Almaty have just one point from their seven Champions League matches. They’ve conceded the joint-most goals (19), have the highest xG against (19.6) and have faced the most shots on target (58) of any side this term.
We are looking for our eighth straight victory in the Champions League – only one other English side has managed 8+ consecutive wins in European Cup/Champions League history, with Manchester City winning 10 in a row between May 2023 and March 2024.
We are the only team who haven’t trailed at any point in the Champions League this season. Kairat, meanwhile, have trailed for 316 minutes, the third most behind Ajax (429) and Villarreal (376).
Bukayo Saka could make his 50th appearance in major European competitions, he would be the second-youngest player to reach this milestone for us (24y 145d), after Cesc Fabregas (22y 331d in 2010).
As well as keeping the joint-most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the 2025/26 edition (5), only one goalkeeper (Ugurcan Cakir – 47) has made more line-breaking passes than David Raya (45) in the Champions League this season.
Match officials
Swiss referee Urs Schnyder will be the man with the whistle for our final league phase contest, and it will be his first Arsenal appointment. He has been in charge of two Champions League matches this season, Newcastle United’s win over Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and Barcelona’s home victory against Olympiacos.
He will be joined by twins Benjamin Zurcher and Marco Zurcher as his assistants. Sven Wolfensberger is the fourth official. On VAR duties will be Fedayi San, and his assistant is Polish referee Piotr Lasyk.
Referee: Urs Schnyder (SUI)
Assistant referees: Benjamin Zurcher, Marco Zurcher (SUI)
Fourth official: Sven Wolfensberger (SUI)
VAR: Fedayi San (SUI)
Assistant VAR: Piotr Lasyk (POL)
Champions League state of play
With seven wins from seven, we will finish in the top two of the league and progress straight to the round of 16, avoiding the knockout phase play-off, which is played by sides finishing 9th-24th.
Finishing in the top two positions means we will be at home for the second leg of any knockout fixtures we face for the remainder of the competition.
In the round of 16, we will face a team that finishes 15th-18th in the league phase. Those sides are currently Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Qarabag. However, with all 36 teams playing at the same time on Wednesday, there will be plenty of movement in the league phase positions before a clearer picture of our possible opponents emerges.
A draw will then take place on Friday, January 30, to determine the knockout phase play-offs fixtures. Teams that finish 15th and 16th will play sides in 17th and 18th. The winners of those matches will play the sides that finish in the top two of the league phase (currently us and Bayern Munich).
The eight clubs that progress from the two-legged knockout phase playoffs advance to the round of 16. The draw, which takes place on Friday, February 27, will reveal which side we are facing.
Live coverage
For our final UCL league phase game of the season, tune into Live From N5 an hour before kick-off!
Join us live from Emirates Stadium as we build up to the contest, with analysis, guests and much more before live kick-by-kick commentary is provided by Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke.
You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live wherever you’re watching in the world.
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How to watch Arsenal v Kairat Almaty live on TV
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