Arsenal have laboured to some pretty ugly wins in 2026 so far but there was nothing ugly about the way in which they made it into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Kai Havertz's late penalty in the first leg last week against Bayer Leverkusen gave them a lifeline and when the German outfit travelled to London on Tuesday night, Mikel Arteta's men showed their class.
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This was one of their best performances of the campaign, certainly in the final third with Eberechi Eze scoring a stunning opener, before Declan Rice netted a glorious second to secure Arsenal's path to the next round.
Truth be told, it could have been far more for Arteta's men, but that attacking performance certainly bodes well ahead of a Wembley showdown with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
How Arsenal beat Leverkusen
Arsenal's win over Everton last time out was not a vintage performance by any means. Indeed, it took Arsenal's four substitutes all to combine to get over the line, as Max Dowman, Piero Hincapie, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli played a hand in both of the goals.
This time around the subs were not required. This performance was far better and had it not been for Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, who made a whopping ten saves, the scoreline would have read rather more handsomly.
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However, at this stage of the campaign, all that matters is the result as Arsenal chase a historic quadruple.
Eze was the deserved man of the match for an awesome performance behind Gyokeres. His first Champions League goal was one of the best you'll see, taking one touch and then hammering a volley past Blaswich. The 'keeper had been brilliant up to that point but there was no stopping that.
It took until the second half for Arteta's side to further press home their advantage and it was yet another fantastic goal, this time from Rice.
For those who have bemoaned Arsenal's 'boring' football this season, this was a mighty rebuttal. There was nothing boring about Eze's strike, nor was there anything dull about Rice's classy finish.
Leverkusen failed to clear their lines adequately which allowed the midfielder to press on and beat Montrell Culbreath to the ball. He took two touches and then stroked the ball effortlessly into the bottom corner.
Rice had yet to score in this season's edition of the Champions League but this was a cracking way to open his account. It may not have been as good as those two free-kicks against Real Madrid last year but it was a lovely finish nonetheless.
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At the back, it was yet another perfect display from the backline. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba were relatively untested while Ben White's return to the starting lineup was a welcome one.
That said, as good as the backline and forward line were on Tuesday night, there is a player who should be taking most of the plaudits.
Arsenal's best player vs Leverkusen
Saturday night was all about Dowman. He became the youngest player in Premier League history to score in the competition and it was a moment that sent shockwaves through English football.
Youngest goalscorers in Premier League history (Dowman, Vaughan timeless)
His future in the game is immense but he won't be handed game time on a sliver platter. After all, he has some incredible talent to break through first if he wants to earn regular minutes.
One obstacle in his way is Eze, the summer signing from Crystal Palace. For the vast majority of his time in Arsenal colours, he has underwhelmed. Five of his nine goals in 2025/26 came in the two north London derby wins over Spurs. That aside, he's not really showcased truly what he's about.
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Yet, in recent weeks, it really does feel as though the 27-year-old is starting to peak when it really matters.
With skipper Martin Odegaard out injured, the creative midfielder has started the last six Premier League and Champions League matches and he's vindicating the faith shown in him.
While other members of the forward line flounder, chiefly the wingers in Bukayo Saka and Martinelli, Eze is coming into form at a really important stage of the season.
In all honesty, there's something about Saka in Eze's game. Not only is he a product of the Hale End academy, but he's finding the gene to influence matches when it matters most, a trait that has been synonymous with the club's number 7 in recent years.
Like Saka, he's got the ability to make something happen out of nothing and that trait perfectly explains why they paid north of £60m to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
In recent weeks, the England international has come up with two vital moments, in particular, scoring the winner against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup and then in a slightly more glamarous setting on Tuesday, fizzing hope that wonderful opener to set Arsenal on their way.
Eze vs Leverkusen
Minutes played
Touches
Accurate passes
Shots
Goals
Expected goals
Key passes
Successful dribbles
Ground duels won
Aerial duels won
Eze's display was about much more than just that goal, however. His interplay with Gyokeres is becoming a really important part of this Arsenal team right now and it is no surprise that the Swede is finding his own feet in red and white now that Eze is playing more regularly.
This week, the former Palace man was sensational, taking three shots and supplying three key passes in a Saka-like display of creativity.
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For so long, Arsenal have had a creativity problem. Some have bemoaned the lack of goals in recent years but at the centre of that issue has been the inability to fashion goalscoring opportunities. Saka has been all on his own as far as chance creation is concerned.
However, Eze is starting to address that problem now. His hat-trick against Spurs last year may well have been his best display in Arsenal colours but this showing against Leverkusen wasn't far behind it. He looked like the best player on the pitch.
As the Gunners gear up to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, they will travel to Wembley knowing they will need Eze in a similar mood if they are to lift their first piece of silverware since 2020.
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