Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Team news after Odegaard blow as Gunners face must-win Champions League match – UK Times

Just a couple minutes until we learn the line-ups for tonight’s crunch clash…

Arsenal are well placed to profit from Chelsea’s sanctions over breaching Premier League rules by signing some of the best young players in the country in the coming months.

An independent commission has now concluded its findings, handing out the Academy ban, in addition to a one-year first-team ban on transfers, which is suspended for two years.

As the Arsenal players got into an ecstatic dressing room, the man of the match wasn’t there. Goalscorer Viktor Gyokeres even came in carrying his award.

That is all because Max Dowman isn’t actually the man of the match but the boy of the match, since he’s still… just a child. Premier League rules mean he’s not actually allowed to change in the same dressing room as adults. He has to go around near the referees’ room.

Maybe it also serves as another little way to keep a mere 16-year-old centred after such a moment, too, but nobody who knows the Dowmans says he needs that. His parents are said to still ground him for misbehaving, and are conscious of keeping the obvious confidence that comes with such ability in check.

They were of course among many people at Arsenal in tears after Dowman scored that crucial clinching goal against Everton. As was openly being said in the dressing room by many staff, they’d known him since he was small. You might quip that wasn’t that long ago, but it also speaks to the speed of his development.

Things might have not gone exactly to plan in Leverkusen last week, but they enter their return leg on the highest of highs, off potentially sealing a first Premier League title in 22 years.

The weekend’s late win over Everton, inspired by 16-year-old Max Dowman, sent Arsenal nine points clear of Manchester City at the top, with that electrifying teenager becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.

Another big night at the Emirates tonight and Arsenal will stay on course for their quadruple.

Want to relive Saturday night to get in the mood? Here’s Miguel Delaney’s match report:

Mikel Arteta has offered a glimmer of hope that captain Martin Odegaard could be available to lead Arsenal in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley.

The influential midfielder has been sidelined since the 4-1 victory over Tottenham on 22 February due to a knee injury and is set to miss Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium.

“We are really pushing him,” Gunners manager Arteta confirmed. “He really wants to try to be available but we’ll have to wait and see how he feels over the next few days when he trains with the team.

“We know the game that we’re going to be playing in a few days again and the more players that we have the better.”

The Gunners, who had topped the league phase having won all eight games, were trailing to Robert Andrich’s goal – from a corner, of all things – with a minute of normal time remaining.

But Havertz kept his nerve after fellow substitute Noni Madueke was brought down in the area to snatch a draw and leave Arsenal as favourites to reach a third-consecutive quarter-final.

Here’s our report from the first leg in Germany:

Arsenal XI: Raya; Mosquera, Gabriel, Saliba, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli; Gyokeres.

Bayer Leverkusen XI: Blaswich; Tapsoba, Andrich, Quansah; Poku, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo; Maza, Tillman; Schick.

Arteta remains Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard due to injury, while Jurrien Timber is a doubt having limped off during Saturday’s win against Everton. Leandro Trossard is fit to feature despite a knock sustained in the first leg.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, arrive in north London without former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Loic Bade, Lucas Vazquez and Arthur Augusto. Kasper Hjulmand’s team drew 1-1 at home to Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Arsenal’s meeting with Bayer Leverkusen kicks off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 17 March at Emirates Stadium.

Fans in the UK can watch the clash on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm GMT. The match can also be streamed on discovery+.