Draw in Germany — first leg (March 11, 1:1)
The opening match in Leverkusen ended in a 1:1 stalemate, meaning everything was still to play for at the Emirates. Arsenal needed a win to make it through to the quarter-finals.
Emirates delivers — second leg (March 17, 2:0)
Arsenal put in a composed and mature display on home soil. Eberechi Eze broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with a precise finish, before Declan Rice sealed the tie in the 63rd minute after a superb Gunners move. Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning German champions, were unable to trouble Arsenal's well-organised defence.
It is an important signal to the rest of Europe — Arsenal win when it matters, and Arteta is building a squad capable of competing on both the Premier League and Champions League fronts. In the quarter-finals, the Gunners drew Sporting Lisbon — the surprise package of this year's competition.