Arsenal escaped the BayArena with a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen after Kai Havertz converted a late penalty to cancel out Robert Andrich’s second half header in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 11: Kai Havertz of Arsenal scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Arsenal FC at BayArena on March 11, 2026 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
It was a below-par performance from Mikel Arteta’s side, who had travelled to Germany on the back of a perfect record in the competition this season. Yet the equaliser ensured Arsenal will return to north London with the tie level and the advantage of playing the second leg at the Emirates where they have already dispatched Bayern Munich. Arsenal’s current form, however, seems a world away from what we saw that night against the German giants.
The Gunners began cautiously in Leverkusen during a boring measured opening period. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi anchored the midfield effectively, helping to contain the hosts but never really going anywhere else during a first half in which clear chances were scarce. The sides went in at the break with an xG of 0.32 v 0.38, which seems high, if you ask me. Martin Odegaard was sorely missed and it’s unlikely he will be back any time soon.
Arsenal saw more of the ball with 55 per cent possession, but their passing, particularly in the final third, was poor. Their only best moment of the first 45 came when Gabriel Martinelli, found by Viktor Gyokeres at the far post after an Eberechi Eze dummy, struck the crossbar. It was a rare fast-flowing move that cut Leverkusen apart. They can do that. They just don’t do it very often for some reason.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 11: Robert Andrich of Bayer 04 Leverkusen scores his team's first goal past David Raya of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Arsenal FC at BayArena on March 11, 2026 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)
Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images
After the break, Leverkusen came out firing and found the breakthrough almost immediately. A corner – conceded after a great David Raya save – was not properly cleared and Andrich arrived unmarked at the far post to head home from close range, punishing Arsenal for another lapse of concentration after the restart. Some fans though Eze was fouled in the box as the corner swung in, but I think he went down far too easily.
Should Andrich have even been on the pitch? Probably not. His two yellow-card challenges on Gyokeres in the first four minutes received only one. That non-call seems even more peculiar after the referee was happy to book Martin Zubimendi and Kai Havertz for fouls he’d imagined.
Regardless, his goal left Arsenal facing their first European defeat of the campaign and forced Arteta to act. Noni Madueke replaced a poor Bukayo Saka as the manager searched for a response to his side going behind for the first time in the competition.
The change proved decisive. Madueke was lively from the off, and looked to make something happen. He played more passes in half an hour than Saka had in an hour (19 v 20), with much more success in finding his teammates (84% v 95%) As he drove into the penalty area with just minutes remaining, he was brought down by Malik Tillman, and Umut Meler pointed to the spot.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 11: Janis Blaswich of Bayer 04 Leverkusen dives as Kai Havertz of Arsenal scores his team's first goal past from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Arsenal FC at BayArena on March 11, 2026 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)
Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images
Havertz stepped forward and calmly fired the ball past Janis Blaswich, who had gone the right way, to bring Arsenal level in front of the fans who sung his name for a decade and had been waiting for this chance to say goodbye.
The tie now moves to the Emirates with the score level and Arsenal still firmly in contention to reach the quarter-finals, but they will need to find a better performance than they managed here.
They are showing a worrying drop in form, as if they are squeezing blood from a stone to get results, and Arteta desperately needs to find a way to get them to relax and run free.
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