Eze and Rice pick off Bayer Leverkusen as Arsenal cruise into quarter

Is there anyone who can stop Arsenal in this kind of form?

The Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper, Janis Blaswich, tried his best in a spectacular first-half performance that kept the Premier League leaders at bay until Eberechi Eze smashed in his first Champions League goal and Declan Rice completed a comfortable victory after the break to seal a third successive quarter‑final appearance.

After yet another clinical performance in Europe yielded a ninth victory in 10 games this season, Mikel Arteta will certainly fancy Arsenal’s chances of getting past Sporting in the last eight despite the Portuguese side’s remarkable comeback against Bodø/Glimt that spared them a trip to the Arctic Circle.

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“I think he’s building a better chemistry, a better understanding with all of them.

We start to understand him as well much better,” said Arteta.

“When you start to make a good game, a good action, an action like that when you’re in the game, that lifts your confidence as well.

That’s what every player needs.

He’s handling the pressure, the situation and the expectations very well.”
With Dowman on the bench again after his milestone against Everton, there was a buzz of anticipation before kick-off and Arteta urged his players to use that momentum to their advantage.

Kasper Hjulmand, the Bayer Leverkusen manager, warned Arsenal that his side wasn’t here just to make up the numbers after their impressive performance in the first leg.

Eberechi Eze (centre) celebrates scoring his first Champions League goal with teammates including Declan Rice (second right) and Bukayo Saka (right).

Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
A spirited draw against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at the weekend further boosted their confidence, even if the bookmakers made them 11-1 shots to progress to the last eight.

“We’ve come here to win this game,” said Hjulmand.

Leverkusen again settled into their rhythm quickly but, after a slow start, Arsenal soon found theirs.

A couple of early corners came to nothing before they seized the initiative.

Leandro Trossard tested Blaswich from just inside the area when he was picked out by Bukayo Saka before Gabriel Magalhães should have opened the scoring when he nodded over from a corner.

Blaswich had to punch away a goalbound Rice free-kick before Saka could only direct a header straight at him.

The latter really should have scored into an empty net but picked out the grateful Blaswich instead.

However his good fortune didn’t last much longer.

The venom with which Eze struck the ball after taking a touch to control it and turn in the same movement meant there was nothing any goalkeeper could have done to stop it.

Declan Rice is in between five Bayer Leverkusen players but steers his shot low and in off the post for Arsenal’s second.

Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Hjulmand turned to his own exciting teenager, the 18-year-old winger Montrell Culbreath, in an attempt to find a way back into the tie.

But Leverkusen needed former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah to make an excellent clearance with Hincapié lurking at the back post after Gyökeres had combined with Saka down the right.