Arsenal 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen (3-1): Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice ensure the Gunners a place in the Champions League ahead of this weekend’s Carabao Cup final.
Ebelesi Eze scores another big goal for Arsenal in victory over Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Rene Nijhuis/MB Media)
Eberechi Eze has provided some magical moments this season, but this one was by far the best.
Eze’s incredible strike left Arsenal in the hunt for an incredible quadruple and ensured a Champions League quarter-final showdown with Sporting Lisbon. Declan Rice sealed the win with a precise finish and Arsenal showed their European pedigree with a win that underlines their chances of going all the way to the end of the season.
Three days after Max Dorman’s last-gasp heroics against Everton, Emirates still felt energized.
In a bid to overwhelm Bayer Leverkusen, they set off fireworks, turned up the music and tried to liven up the atmosphere ahead of kick-off. There was a cloud of smoke before kick-off, giving a sense of the tension with so much at stake in what is undoubtedly a crucial week for Mikel Arteta’s side.
read more: Eberechi Eze’s stunning win over Leverkusen keeps Arsenal’s quadruple dream alive – 5 talking pointsread more: The immediate reaction of three Arsenal stars to Eberechi Eze’s Champions League goal says it all.
The late win against Everton left Arsenal nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and they will face title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
However, after completing the Champions League with a 100% record and reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, Arsenal are also favorites to win the bookmaker’s top European football award.
With Arteta chasing four trophies, there are few teams that will get the chance to make history like this, so he is understandably greedy.
They were well below their best in the first leg but escaped with a draw thanks to Kai Havertz’s controversial penalty against his former club.
Eze and Declan Rice scored a vital goal for Arsenal (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal left 16-year-old wonder Doman on the bench, but Ben White replaced the injured Julian Timber, Victor Goqueres replaced Havertz up front, and Leandro Trossard replaced Noni Madueke.
As the Gunners’ rejuvenated forwards looked to seize opportunities, it was Trossard who looked lively from the start.
Trossard created space on the edge of the box and fired a shot, forcing Leverkusen keeper Janis Vlasovic to make a spectacular acrobatic save.
Arsenal defender Gabriel twice headed the ball from Bukayo Saka’s corner kicks. Declan Rice took a powerful free-kick which Blaswich smashed away.
Blaswich’s goal was to live a charmed life as he pushed away Saka’s shot and managed to block Trossard’s shot with his feet. It was a one-way street. The pressure was mounting.
Eze has delivered big moments for Arsenal this season (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The dam had to break, and it ultimately did in the most spectacular way. Piero Hincapie and Rice combined, and Trossard’s layoff went to Eberechi Eze, who controlled, spanned, and fired a 25-yard rocket that even Blaswich couldn’t stop.
The stadium erupted. Eze has been saving his magic for big moments this season. He scored a hat-trick and two goals against Tottenham. This was huge and without a doubt the best attack ever.
Arsenal boasted overwhelming strength, but still could not finish the match. Leverkusen’s England defender Jarrell Quansah made a heroic goal-line clearance to deny Hincapie.
Arsenal finally received insurance coverage. Leverkusen were unable to clear their lines and Rice grabbed the loose ball and fired a superb 20-yard shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 after 63 minutes.
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