Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen; UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen. UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Emirates StadiumAttendance57,537.
3-1
Arsenal 2-0 Leverkusen (Agg: 3-1): Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice score stunners to set up Champions League quarter-final with Sporting
Match report as Arsenal clinch a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate; Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored stunning goals; Gunners will face Sporting in last eight
Wednesday 18 March 2026 09:11, UK
Arsenal set up a Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon as superb goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice completed a 3-1 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The Gunners needed a late Kai Havertz penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw from the first leg but produced a dominant display at the Emirates Stadium to continue their hunt for silverware on four fronts.
Eze broke the deadlock on the night in the first half when he controlled a Leandro Trossard pass and rifled home a sensational finish from outside the box for his fourth goal in seven games.
Rice added the second in similarly eye-catching style after the hour mark, cutting out a Leverkusen clearance then driving towards the edge of the box and stroking an exquisite finish into the corner.
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The visitors owed it to their goalkeeper that the margin of defeat was not greater. Janis Blaswich made a total of 10 saves as Arsenal laid siege to his goal for long periods, with Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard among those denied.
Ben White, starting only his second game since late January in place of the absent Jurrien Timber, also had a first-half effort saved at point-blank range following a goalmouth scramble.
The visitors were restricted to few chances but did go close on one occasion in the closing stages, when David Raya was forced into an acrobatic, one-handed save from Christian Kofane.
The victory pits Arsenal against Portuguese side Sporting, who overcame a three-goal first leg deficit to beat Bodo/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate earlier on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta's side now face Manchester City in Sunday's Carabao Cup final on the back of two invaluable victories, with their latest following Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League as their hopes of silverware continue to grow.
Eze appeared to suffer a knock before his substitution for Kai Havertz in the second half but allayed injury fears ahead of the trip to Wembley, saying: "I'm alright, I'll be ok."
Arteta: We were a threat from every angle
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in his press conference: "I think we started the game so well. I think we were a threat from every angle.
"The 'keeper maintained them in the game, I think, and we needed a magical moment from Ebs to score a wonderful goal.
"In the second half, we had periods of domination, periods where they dominated us as well because they are a really good side and they are really good in what they do.
"And again, their transitions opened the opportunity to win the game and the tie. Unfortunately, as well, we had four or five situations where we should have probably scored the third one and put the game to bed.
"But overall, I think we fully deserve to be in the quarter-finals."
On Eze's continued run of impressive form, Arteta added: "I think he's playing every three days now. He has the rhythm, he has understanding with his team-mates as well, what we want.
"Especially his level of activity with the ball, without the ball, in the spaces that he moves, the purpose that he's showing every time he's in and around the box as well, which is the reason why he's here, to create those kind of moments.
"I'm comparing the minutes that he's ever played in his career. He's much higher right now than any other season. So that tells you as well the consistency that he's showing.
"He's always fit. Today, he had to come off because he's got a lot of minutes in him, but he's handling the pressure, the situation and the expectations very well."
Analysis: Arsenal hit clean sheet milestone
Arsenal will hope this performance quietens some of the recent debate around their playing style. The goals were brilliantly taken and there were plenty more examples of slick attacking play. At their best, as they were here, this side excel in all departments.
Their display also underlined the defensive strength underpinning their charge for silverware in four competitions. Amazingly, this was Arsenal's 25th clean sheet of the season. It is an astonishing record from 49 games played.
Centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba provided the foundations. Bayer Leverkusen's young striker Christian Kofane had caused them problems in the first leg but they dominated the second, winning all but two of their 14 combined duels.
They were not alone in excelling defensively. Mikel Arteta described Declan Rice as "immense". There was a similarly impressive display from Piero Hincapie against his parent club. But Arsenal's strength, particularly out of possession, lies in the collective.
The clean sheets will continue to stack up.
Arsenal's quarter-final run continues
- Arsenal have reached the Champions League quarters for the third consecutive season. It's only the second time in their history they have achieved such a streak, after 2007/08 to 2009/10.
- Arsenal had 12 shots on target against Bayer Leverkusen, their joint-most on record (since 2003/04) in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage match (also 12 vs Porto in March 2010).
- Eberechi Eze is the second English player to score for Arsenal in the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season, after Theo Walcott in 2012/13.
Story of the match in stats
When are the knockout stages?
Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15 Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6 Final: May 30 (Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary)
Arsenal's busy April schedule
April 4: Southampton (A), FA Cup quarter-final, kick-off 8pm
April 7/8: Sporting CP (A), Champions League quarter-final, kick-off TBC
April 11: Bournemouth (H), Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm*
April 14: Sporting CP (H), Champions League quarter-final second leg, kick-off TBC
April 19: Manchester City (A), Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
*subject to change
