Arsenal F.C. booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a comfortable victory over Bayer Leverkusen, thanks to goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice.
The win sees Arsenal advance to face Sporting CP in the last eight, after the Portuguese side completed a remarkable comeback against Bodo/Glimt.
Level on aggregate heading into the second leg following a 1-1 draw — secured by a late penalty from Kai Havertz — Arsenal took control early and prevented the German side from settling into the game.
The hosts threatened repeatedly from set-pieces, with Gabriel Magalhaes going close on two occasions, only to be denied by impressive saves from goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.
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However, Blaswich was eventually beaten when Eze produced a moment of quality, controlling the ball at the edge of the area before turning sharply and firing a powerful effort into the roof of the net to open the scoring.
Arsenal maintained their dominance after the break and extended their lead through Rice, who reacted quickest to a loose clearance and guided a composed finish into the bottom corner to effectively seal the tie.
With the result beyond doubt, manager Mikel Arteta took the opportunity to rotate his squad, resting key players ahead of their upcoming clash with Manchester City F.C. in the EFL Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
Arsenal now turn their focus to the quarter-finals, where they will face a resurgent Sporting side in what promises to be a highly competitive encounter. ⚽