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What could have been a difficult night for Arsenal was instead one to remember in the Champions League.
In truth, they went into their second-leg clash with Bayer Leverkusen lucky to be level. A Kai Havertz penalty after a controversial foul on Noni Madueke last week meant it was 1-1 going into the second game, but there was little need to worry.
Mikel Areteta’s side were dominant from the off, kept at bay only by Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich until he was left powerless.
Eberechi Eze’s effort on 36 minutes, a lightning strike, left Blaswich no chance. He could have barely seen it as the Gunners midfielder picked up his first-ever Champions League goal.
Then it was up to Declan Rice, who collected the ball up on the edge of the area just after the hour mark to put the game beyond doubt. The last eight awaits.
Daily Mail Sport’s ISAAN KHAN was at the Emirates to run the rule over the game.
Declan Rice was one of Arsenal’s best players as they booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
Mikel Arteta’s side were dominant on a night that could have been awkward in Europe
It’s crunch time
Every week at Arsenal is painted as a defining one. The sheer pressure attached to each fixture is a consequence of fighting on all four fronts, an unlikely Quadruple on the horizon. One slip-up at this stage of knockout competitions can be fatal.
A fortnight ago, the Gunners were chided for beating Chelsea with two set-pieces. Last week, they faced scrutiny for sneaking a draw with Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of this Champions League last-16 tie through a soft Madueke penalty which Havertz converted, and they were rescued by the heroics of Max Dowman at the weekend against Everton.
And then this week, the north London club have had a quarter-final spot up for grabs — as well as their upcoming Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday.
Leverkusen are no mugs, as seen by the way the Bundesliga team held Arsenal in their back yard and drew against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
The visitors had caused Mikel Arteta’s men problems in Germany, a match they had looked set to win until that fortuitous penalty.
Yet, Arsenal went up a gear here at the Emirates, applying pressure from the off in a way they have lacked in recent times.
Teams in Europe often play more expansively, which allows the Gunners to play more free-flowing football; rather than a difficult watch, this was laced with entertainment. They exuded a swagger which is not always synonymous with Arsenal this season.
The ball zipped through the lines, Eze in particular enjoying the extra space afforded to him in the pockets.
Leverkusen were pulled apart and mauled in a dominant display. In general, it was a warning to other sides — this Arsenal team are going to take some stopping domestically and in Europe, particularly if they are able to thrive in the final third.
Not perfect by any means, and wasteful. But, crucially, created umpteen chances and were not nervy in the way this team can be when it’s not going their way in attack.
They stuck at their task and were unrelenting, particularly in the first half. When it came to nullifying the visitors’ pressure in the second half, the backline stood strong.
Ahead of the Man City clash, Arsenal are well set to round the week off with a first trophy in six years, as well as favourites to lift the Champions League. If the Gunners are to achieve what many predict, which is at least two trophies this season, this week in March will be looked back upon as a defining one.
More pertinently: who can stop them in Europe, if on form? It’s a question worth pondering.
Eberechi Eze was the star of the show, and he is hitting his yearly purple patch of form
Eze’s night
Look out, Martin Odegaard, springtime Eberechi Eze has arrived. Across the previous three seasons, the 27-year-old has struck 22 goals in 41 games for club and country between the months of March and May. Bewildering numbers, really.
It is in this period that Eze traditionally rises to the fore — and that trend is on cue once again. Having scored a brace against Tottenham last month, the England man has benefited from Odegaard’s knee injury.
His recent sequence of matches looked an unlikely prospect prior to the Norwegian’s omission, Eze left on the periphery having not fully made use of the rare cameos Arteta had afforded him. Now, he has strung together six consecutive starts (excluding the FA Cup fifth-round tie victory over Mansfield Town) and taken advantage of a run in this team.
As seen by his stunning half-volley outside the area to put the Gunners ahead, Eze has the magic in his boots, the spark that can unlock a match. He’s the kind of flair player which Arteta needs to fully utilise in the run-in.
Against teams playing with the lowest of low blocks, particularly in the league, it is the likes of Eze who can be so valuable. His strike here reflected an execution which many of his fellow stars dare not attempt.
It leaves captain Odegaard with the awareness that he must hit the ground running upon his return — and that starts are not a given, even though he is the captain.
The coming weeks will be revealing indeed. Healthy competition, mind.
Ben White earned a rare start at right back after an injury to Jurrien Timber, and looked as though he had never been out of the side
Like he’d never been away
Trademark link-up play with Saka, and clever interchanges on the right flank — flickers of the old Ben White came to the fore. The forgotten man, who has had to make do with the bench throughout this campaign earning just five Premier League starts, gave Arteta a timely reminder.
With Jurrien Timber out injured, White showed that he still has a part to play with games on the horizon.
The telepathic understanding he has with Saka allowed the winger to get into more comfortable positions in the final third; it’s a combination which adds a different element to Arsenal.
Saka can often get crowded out and is regularly doubled up on by opposition defenders. With White in tow, he’s able to get off quick give-and-gos, opening up pockets near the byline.
Defensively, he looked sharp and was not a weak link for Leverkusen to target. Promising signs all-round.
