Arsenal set up their Champions League quarter-final match against Sporting Lisbon with a 3-1 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen thanks to stunning goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice.
The Gunners needed a late penalty from Kai Havertz to salvage a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but they produced a dominant performance at the Emirates Stadium and went on to claim silver medals on four fronts.
Eze broke the deadlock in the first half that night, controlling Leandro Trossard’s pass and scoring his fourth goal in seven games with a sensational finish from outside the box.
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Paul Merson reacts to Eberechi Eze’s stunning opener
Rice added his second goal just after the hour mark in similarly eye-catching style, cutting clear for Leverkusen, driving towards the edge of the penalty area and finishing exquisitely into the corner.
Eberechi Eze scores first goal and celebrates with Declan Rice
It was thanks to the goalkeeper that the visiting team did not fall behind. Janis Blaswicz made 10 saves in total, with Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard also denied saves as Arsenal were under siege for long periods.
Ben White, starting in his second game since late January in place of the absent Julian Timber, also saved a first-half shot from close range after a struggle for the goalmouth.
The visiting team were limited to few chances, but only came close once in the closing stages. David Raya was then forced into an acrobatic one-handed save from Cristian Cofane.
The victory means Arsenal will face Portugal’s Sporting, who overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Bodo/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate in Tuesday’s first leg.
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Paul Merson reacts to Declan Rice’s great second goal
Mikel Arteta’s side have picked up two valuable wins and will face Manchester City in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. Their hopes of winning a silver medal continue to rise after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League.
Sunday, March 22nd 4:15pm
4:30pm kickoff
Eze appeared to suffer a bruise before being replaced by Kai Havertz in the second half, but he dismissed injury concerns ahead of the trip to Wembley, saying: “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Arteta: “We were a threat from all angles”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said at a press conference: “I think we started the game very well. I think we were a threat from every angle.”
“I think the keeper kept us in the game and it took a magical moment from Ebbs to score a great goal.
“There were times in the second half where we dominated and there were times where they dominated us because they’re a really good team and they’re really good at what they do.
Declan Rice scores Arsenal’s second goal
“And once again, their transition won the game and opened up a chance to tie it. Unfortunately, we had four or five moments where we probably should have made a third and ended the game.
“But overall, I think we deserve well to advance to the quarterfinals.”
Commenting on Eze’s excellent run of form, Arteta added: “I think he’s playing every three days now. He has a rhythm and his team-mates understand what we want.”
Eberechi Eze puts Arsenal ahead on the volley against Bayer Leverkusen
“Especially his level of activity with the ball, when he doesn’t have the ball, in the spaces he moves, the purpose he shows every time he’s in and around the box, that’s why he’s here, to create moments like that.
“I’m comparing his minutes so far in his career. He’s much higher right now than he has been in any other season. So it also speaks to the consistency he’s shown.”
“He’s always in good form. He had to go off today because he had plenty of minutes, but he’s coping well with the pressure, the situation and the expectations.”
Analysis: Arsenal reach clean sheet milestone
Arsenal will be hoping this performance will put to rest some of the recent controversy over their playing style. The goal was well scored and there were many other examples of clever attacking play. At their best, like when they were here, this team is good in every department.
Their performance highlighted the strength of their defense, which supported their success in winning silver medals in four tournaments. Amazingly, this was Arsenal’s 25th clean sheet of the season. This is an amazing record of 49 games played.
William Saliba helped Arsenal keep their 25th clean sheet of the season.
Center backs Gabriel and William Saliba provided the foundation. Bayer Leverkusen’s young striker Christian Kofane caused problems in the first leg, but dominated in the second leg, winning all but two of the 14 games in total.
They weren’t the only ones who excelled defensively. Mikel Arteta has described Declan Rice as “invaluable”. Piero Hincapie had similarly impressive performances against his parent club. But Arsenal’s strength, especially in possession, lies in their collective strength.
His scoreless record will continue to accumulate.
Arsenal’s run to the quarter-finals continues
Arsenal qualified for the Champions League for the third consecutive season. This is the second time in Arsenal’s history that this streak has been achieved, following from the 2007/08 to 2009/10 seasons. Arsenal had 12 shots on target against Bayer Leverkusen, the most in a UEFA Champions League knockout match (since 2003/04) (12 against Porto in March 2010). Ebelesi Eze became the second English player to score a goal. He is the first Arsenal player since Theo Walcott in 2012/13 to appear in the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
Match story in statistics
When is the knockout stage?
Quarterfinals: April 7-8, 14-15 Semi-finals: April 28-29, May 5-6 Final: May 30 (Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary)
Arsenal’s busy April schedule
April 4: Southampton (A), FA Cup quarter-final, 8pm kick-off
April 7/8: Sporting CP (A), Champions League quarter-finals, kick-off to be determined
April 11: Bournemouth (H), Premier League, kick-off 12:30pm*
April 14: Sporting CP (H), Champions League quarter-final second leg, kick-off to be determined
April 19: Manchester City (A), Premier League, 4.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
*Subject to change
