Arsenal 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen
(Aggregate 3-1)
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

ARSENAL’S winning momentum took Mikel Arteta’s quadruple-chasing side past Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on another raucous evening in north London.

Arsenal eased past Die Werkself 2-0 to win this R16 second leg clash 3-1 on aggregate through Eberechie Eze’s spectacular contender for goal of the season — which was supplemented by player-of-the-year prime candidate Declan Rice’s second-half effort, also from outside the area.

The Gunners dominated their sixth placed Bundesliga opponents on a memorable night in N5, in a commanding performance, one that allowed the club’s supporters to continue to dream of challenging for an unprecedented four trophies.

With the League Cup final approaching at the weekend, Arteta made four changes from the team that beat Everton last Saturday, with Ben White replacing Jurrien Timber, who was absent from the squad. Arteta opted to put Saturday’s teenage hero Max Dowman on the bench.

White made only his second start since the end of January, with his last appearance since a 4-0 FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic on February 15. Club captain Martin Odegaard was once again missing, and hasn’t now featured for the Gunners since February 22, a worry ahead of Sunday’s showpiece final against Manchester City.

In the wake of Chelsea’s preposterous centre-circle shenanigans at the weekend, that did their club, their manager, and the game of football no good at all, it was nice to note Arsenal and Leverkusen conducted their huddle in their own half before kick off, following a raft of red and white fireworks, and a light show, that ramped up the atmosphere still further.

On nine minutes, Gabriel headed past the near post from captain Bukayo Saka’s corner in the first chance of the match. Five minutes later Trossard fired low and wide.

Moments later, as Arsenal dominated, Trossard found space in the box, before testing Leverkusen keeper Janis Blaswich with an effort that looked to be heading in, until the experienced 34-year-old tipped the ball over the bar.

On 20 minutes Gabriel headed over at the near post again, after Saka’s superb corner into the box. Arsenal were simply relentless.

Two minutes later, the majestic Rice powered a direct free kick at Blaswich’s near post that the Leverkusen keeper did well to parry away to safety, with the former Leipzig netminder gathering Saka’s header from White’s cross moments later.

On 27 minutes the busy Blaswich saved from Saka at his near post after a sweeping move by the Gunners. The much-travelled keeper then made a superb save, albeit an unconventional one, when his shin turned the ball just past the post from Trossard’s effort.

However, there was no saving what was to come.

The home side’s pre-eminence was to count shortly afterwards, when Eze put Arsenal 1-0 ahead in the 36th minute with a wonder strike from outside the box. Forget about any other nominations for goal of the season, for we had just witnessed this season’s winner.

Eze, positioned with his back to goal outside the box, tamed Trossard’s pass, before spinning to face Blaswich’s net. With defenders lurking, and plenty of work still to do, the talented 27-year-old simply crashed home an emphatic shot that scorched into the top corner, as the stadium erupted into joyous hysteria at what the assembled crowd of 57,537 had just witnessed.

Cue pandemonium all around. Bar the goalscorer, who was as calm as the eye of a storm, as if what Eze had just done was the easiest thing in the world to achieve. The stunning goal already added to an increasingly numerous highlights reel of what could be a momentous season.

Speaking after the match, a satisfied Arteta took time to praise Eze, but just not too much, saying: “Ebs is playing every three days, he has rhythm, and this is why he is here. He is building an understanding with all [his teammates].”

Arsenal continued their dominance after the interval when Trossard fired narrowly wide after the break, while the clunking Viktor Gyokeres drilled a shot at Blaswich on 51 minutes.

Six minutes later, Leverkusen’s scorer from the 1-1 draw last week in northern Germany, Robert Andrich, fired wide, before Gyokeres’ deflected shot fizzed past Blaswich’s far post.

That was before Rice made the game safe in the 63rd minute with an excellent effort from outside the box — making it the eighth of his 21 Gunners career goals to come from outside the area.

The Gunners’ world-class midfielder winning possession by striding imperiously onto the ball, to unleash a confident drive with minimal backlight that flew past Blaswich, to score his fifth goal of a consequential campaign — with the promise of so much more to come.

No wonder Arteta purred after the match: “It was an incredible moment from Declan to finish the game.”

Rice’s outstanding goal broke Leverkusen’s spirit, and Arsenal knew it, as the home side moved into the last eight of the Champions League for the third successive season, even if the ever-alert David Raya deserved praise for superbly tipping away Christian Kofane’s 87th minute effort before the final whistle.

Quizzed after the match, Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand was asked if he thought Arsenal could win the Champions League, replied: “I think they could. Fewest goals against them. Highest number of goals scored [but] Bayern [Munich] play a different type of game. They do it differently… it’s tight [but] in one game you never know.”

In the meantime, an eagerly awaited domestic tussle awaits, for Arsenal’s next stop is the mouth-watering clash against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the 2026 League Cup final, with the first trophy of the season on offer this weekend.