Arsenal face already-eliminated Kairat Almaty in a top-vs-bottom league phase showdown in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.
Arsenal simply need to avoid defeat to top the league phase and earn the top seeded position in the Round of 16, whilst Kairat are already eliminated and can’t qualify for the knockout stages.
Team News
Riccardo Calafiori could return for Arsenal after he wasn’t risked in their 3-2 Premier League loss at home to Manchester United, as he continues to rebuild his fitness after a muscle injury.
Max Dowman remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
Kairat could welcome Dastan Satpaev back after he missed their defeat to Club Brugge last week due to a stomach injury.
Azamat Tuyabaev is a doubt due to a nose injury.
When is Kick-Off?
Arsenal host Kairat at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday 28 January at 8pm GMT, live on TNT Sports 7 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- This is Arsenal’s first meeting against Kairat in all competitions.
- Kairat are making their first-ever visit to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
- Gabriel Martinelli has scored in each of Arsenal’s three league-phase matches at home this season (W3).
- Kairat are one of three teams to have conceded 19 goals in this season’s league phase alongside Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Prediction
Needing just one point to secure the top seeding in the knockout phase, Arsenal have the ideal game to bounce back from their domestic defeat against Man Utd because they were dominant yet their defensive play was just carelessly timid with a soft intensity which was frankly unacceptable.
Kairat meanwhile are already eliminated from contention so this is a basic free hit for them but with an awful defensive record, it is tough to see them getting anything here unless they produce an exceptional performance.
On that note, I expect this to be an one-sided game as Arsenal really need to atone for their loss and I fancy them to deliver the ideal tonic here.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Kairat Almaty
Result: Arsenal 3-2 Kairat Almaty