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Arsenal’s Champions League campaign took another step forward with a 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with Eberechi Eze’s magical moment breaking the deadlock with a stunning strike from the edge of the box in the dying minutes of the first half.
Eze’s thunderbolt marked his first-ever Champions League goal and extended his resurgence after a slow start to life at Arsenal following his summer move from Crystal Palace. With Martin Ødegaard sidelined, Arteta has handed Eze more playing time, and the England international has seized his chance.
Arteta was full of praise for the midfielder’s contribution, saying, “We started the game so well and we were a threat from every angle. Their keeper kept them in the game and we needed a magical moment from Ebs to give us the lead.”
The second half saw Declan Rice seal the victory with a clinical finish, his first Champions League goal of the season, giving Arsenal a 3-1 aggregate win. Rice’s performance earned him further praise from Arteta, who hailed his influence on the team.
Arsenal now look ahead to a quarter-final clash with Sporting Lisbon, a side they comfortably beat 5-1 in last season’s group stage. With their dominance over Leverkusen, Arsenal are well-positioned for their push for silverware, having already secured nine wins and one draw in the competition this season.
Arteta, whose side is chasing an unprecedented quadruple, was pleased with the performance but also noted missed opportunities:
“We had four or five situations where we should have scored a third, but overall we fully deserved to win and be in the quarter-finals,” highlighting the importance of squad rotation, ensuring that key players remain fresh for the upcoming League Cup final against Manchester City and other crucial fixtures.
With the Premier League title within their grasp and the Champions League in sight, Arsenal’s campaign is shaping up to be a thrilling one. They remain unbeaten in the competition and are gearing up for what could be their most successful season in recent history, with a first Champions League win still eluding them.
