Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Champions League triumph sets Gunners up perfectly for Carabao Cup final | OneFootball

(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal scored two stunners to breeze past Bayer Leverkusen and book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Eberechi Eze broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, firing a rocket of a half-volley past Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich who had looked near-inpenetrable until that point of the first half.

After taking the lead in the tie for the first time, Declan Rice then gave Arsenal breathing space in the second leg as he curled a beautiful low effort into the bottom-right corner, leaving Blaswich rooted to the spot.

The result ensured Arsenal's progression and kept their dreams of an unprecedented quadruple alive, with Sporting CP waiting for them in the next round after they came from three goals down to knock out surprise package Bodo/Glimt.

Pinned

Arsenal’s season has passed a turning point — and the best could still be to come

Minimum fuss in the end, as Arsenal still go for the maximum. It could genuinely be a unique season, as they also may end up the only English club left in the Champions League.

For now, an already good week got even better, as this 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen didn’t just put them into the Champions League quarter-final; it puts them in a good place ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, which may yet be the first of four trophies this season.

Winning the actual quadruple is of course still a fantasy - the sheer number of games tend to catch up with you - but every match right now is making the vision that bit more real.

Arsenal’s season has passed a turning point — and the best could still be to come

Arsenal 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen (3-1 on aggregate): The Gunners have felt a release as they continued chasing a quadruple by marching into the Champions League quarter-finals

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Miguel Delaney at the Emirates Stadium17 March 2026 22:40

Next up: Carabao Cup final

Arsenal’s huge week is only just beginning as they turn focus to this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

Can they lift a first trophy since the Covid era?

We’ll catch you then!

(Getty Images)

Will Castle18 March 2026 08:00

Mikel Arteta says Eberechi Eze’s thunderbolt is ‘the reason why he’s here'

Mikel Arteta claimed the wonder goal scored by Eberechi Eze to fire Arsenal on the way to the Champions League quarter-finals is “the reason why he’s here”.

“We needed a magical moment from Ebs to score a wonderful goal, a wonderful strike to give us the lead,” said the Gunners boss.

“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.”

Pick them out!

Will Castle18 March 2026 03:00

Arsenal turn focus to Carabao Cup final

Arsenal will now turn to the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, which could see them tick off the first of the quadruple and lift a piece of silverware for the first time since 2020.

"From tomorrow on we work to Sunday's cup final and trying to lift the cup - that's one of our objectives,” Leandro Trossard said.

Mikel Arteta, however, insisted he didn’t have the match in mind when substituting four players off soon after Arsenal’s second goal.

"It was good to rotate and get those players in but I had certain players that needed to come off because of the amount of time they are playing. That's why they came off, nothing to do with Sunday,” he said.