Arsenal v Kairat Almaty

 

Fixture Overview

Match: Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
Competition: UEFA Champions League
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 – 8:00 PM
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London

Managers:

• Arsenal: Mikel Arteta

• Kairat Almaty: Rafael Urazbakhtin

Context

• Arsenal is one of the English Premier League’s top sides and has been a consistent contender in the Champions League in recent seasons. They are known for their tactical flexibility under Arteta, with high pressing and positional play.

• Kairat Almaty is one of Kazakhstan’s leading clubs. They have qualified for the group stages or knockouts via the UEFA competitions route, but this fixture is likely one of their first in the Champions League group stages against an elite English team.

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Manager Statistics

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

• Known for: Tactical discipline, structured build-up play, high pressing.

• Arsenal under Arteta (2025–26 season so far):

  • Win rate: ~65–70% across all competitions

  • Average goals per game: ~2.1

  • Defensive record: ~0.9 goals conceded per game

• Arteta in UEFA competitions:

  • Champions League win rate: ~58–60%

  • Strong record at home: Unbeaten in the majority of Emirates fixtures in Europe

Rafael Urazbakhtin (Kairat Almaty)

• Known for: Pragmatic, counter-attacking style, solid defensive organisation, reliance on quick transitions.

• Kairat Almaty in European competitions (estimated from previous UEFA Europa/Champions League qualifiers):

  • Win rate: ~40–45%

  • Goals per game: ~1.3

  • Conceding rate: ~1.6 goals per game

• First appearance against English top-flight teams in European competition; tactical approach will likely focus on containment and set-pieces.

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Historical Head-to-Head

• Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty: This appears to be the first meeting between the two clubs in European competitions.

• Therefore, there are no direct previous fixtures to analyse. We can, however, consider:

  • Arsenal’s European record against teams from Kazakhstan: Arsenal have never faced a Kazakh side in official UEFA competitions, making this an entirely new challenge.

  • Kairat Almaty against English teams: Historically, Kazakh teams struggle in away matches against Premier League clubs. Most fixtures end in heavy defeats or low-scoring draws, indicating the gulf in resources and squad depth.

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Comparative Analysis & Key Stats

Observations:

• Arsenal will dominate possession and look to exploit width and creative midfielders.

• Kairat will likely sit deep, defend in numbers, and look for counter-attacking opportunities or set-piece goals.

• Home advantage at Emirates is significant for Arsenal; they have historically struggled against teams with ultra-defensive setups but rarely against debutant sides from Kazakhstan.

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Tactical Battle

• Arsenal strength vs Kairat weakness: Arsenal’s creative overload through the middle and wide areas will challenge Kairat’s defensive compactness.

• Kairat strength vs Arsenal weakness: Quick counters and aerial set-pieces may exploit spaces behind Arsenal’s high line, though execution must be clinical.

• Key players to watch:

  • Arsenal: Likely attacking trio in forward positions (Arteta usually rotates).

  • Kairat: Main striker(s) and holding midfielders for interceptions.

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Prediction Trends

• Given Arsenal’s dominance at home, historical record against similar teams, and Kairat’s limited European experience, Arsenal is expected to be heavily favoured.

• Kairat’s path to a positive result: disciplined defence, hitting on counters, avoiding early concessions.

 

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