Arsenal Cruise Past Leverkusen, Reach UCL Quarter-Finals

Eze and Rice lead Arsenal to UCL quarter-finals

Arsenal beats Bayer Leverkusen 2-0, advances to Champions League quarter-finals with goals from Eze and Rice. Gunners secure UCL quarter-final spot with 3-1 aggregate win over Leverkusen.

Gunners secure UCL quarter-final spot with 3-1 aggregate win over Leverkusen... 

Arsenal cruised into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium, securing a 3-1 aggregate victory. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike, and Declan Rice sealed the win with a precise low finish.

This impressive performance extends Arsenal's unbeaten run to 14 games across all competitions, with 10 wins and 4 draws. Mikel Arteta's team looked comfortable throughout, controlling the tempo and limiting Leverkusen's opportunities. They'll now face Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals.

Bayer Leverkusen looked keen to grab an early goal, with Leandro Trossard having two promising chances in the opening minutes. He first dragged a shot wide, then saw another effort pushed around the post by Janis Blaswich.

Bayer Leverkusen's goalkeeper Janis Blaswich was having a great game, making some incredible saves to keep Arsenal at bay. But Eberechi Eze had other plans! He scored his first-ever Champions League goal with a stunning right-footed strike from the edge of the box, leaving Blaswich with no chance.

Eze's goal was a thing of beauty - he took a touch with his left foot, swiveled, and unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Blaswich into the top corner. It was a moment of magic that put Arsenal ahead and set them on their way to a 2-0 win over Leverkusen.

Trossard had another chance to score, but his right-footed shot flew just wide of the far post. Declan Rice seized the opportunity, doubling Arsenal's lead with a classy finish. The England midfielder strode into the box and curled a superb shot into the bottom corner.

Eberechi Eze was on the hunt for his second goal, gliding forward and cutting inside onto his left foot, but Jarell Quansah made a great sliding block to deny him. Unfortunately, Eze was carrying a knock, so Mikel Arteta decided to take no chances and replaced him with Kai Havertz with 20 minutes to go.

Arsenal in last 8 ✅#UCL pic.twitter.com/Qv0pKSCjR6

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2026

A former Leverkusen forward, who had a goal disallowed for a foul on Malik Tillman, was quickly involved in the action. David Raya made a great save to deny Christian Kofane's sliding effort, keeping Arsenal's lead intact.

Arsenal had a great night, putting in a solid performance to secure their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. Now, they're eyeing a potential quadruple, facing Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Their efficient win makes their Champions League ambitions look more realistic than ever. They're through to the quarter-finals, where they'll face Sporting Lisbon. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will focus on securing UCL qualification for next season when they face Heidenheim on Saturday.

Player of the Match in the round of 16 🔝#UCL pic.twitter.com/KYcpGHrQHK

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2026