20:00Tom Canton
Arsenal have the former Bayer Leverkusen star man Kai Havertz to thank as Mikel Arteta’s side avoided defeat in the first leg of their last-16 clash with the Bundesliga club.
The Gunners came close to taking the lead inside twenty minutes after Gabriel Martinelli struck the ball against the crossbar. That was by far the best chance of the first half with very little else testing either David Raya or Janis Blaswich.
No doubt 19-year-old Christian Kofane is a player to look out for in the future; he was causing two of the world’s best centre-halves plenty of problems. Yet it was the captain, Robert Andrich, whose header within minutes of the second half starting that shocked the favourites.
Noni Madueke would win the Gunners a very late penalty to secure an important score draw in Germany to take back to North London. Kai Havertz stepping up against his former side to crush their hopes of a famous win.
Read how **football.london** rated the performances of the Arsenal players involved [here](https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/fixtures-results/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-bayer-33574693).
Noni Madueke of Arsenal was the man who turned the tide for the Gunners against Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Tom Canton
Welcome to **football.london's** coverage of Mikel Arteta's post match press conference.
Our Arsenal reporter **Tom Canton** is at the BayArena in Germany to hear from the Arsenal manager. Updates to follow...