Arsenal welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany. Kai Havertz scored a late penalty for the Gunners, putting them in a strong position. Mikel Arteta has cautioned that the return fixture will not be straightforward.
The first leg ended 1-1 last week, with Havertz's penalty securing a vital away goal for Arsenal. The Gunners then secured a 2-0 Premier League win over Everton at the weekend, thanks to late strikes involving 16-year-old substitute Max Dowman, who assisted Viktor Gyokeres and scored himself. Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, drew 1-1 at home against a Bayern Munich side reduced to nine men in their recent Bundesliga match. They have lost just one of their last 14 games across all competitions but have drawn five of their last six. Arsenal have won 13 of 16 home Champions League games under Arteta. The match kicks off at 8pm and will be broadcast on TNT Sports, with streaming on the discovery+ app. Arteta dismissed notions of an easy win, praising Leverkusen's coaching and structure after their Bayern display. 'We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully we are going to do it,' he said. On Dowman, Arteta noted the teenager's stable family environment helps him handle the hype. Arsenal will miss Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard, and Mikel Merino, though Ben White is expected at right-back and Leandro Trossard is fit for the bench. For Leverkusen, Mark Flekken, Loic Bade, Arthur, Lucas Vazquez, and Eliesse Ben Seghir are unavailable, while Alejandro Grimaldo returns from suspension. Aleix Garcia and Martin Terrier face late fitness checks. Predicted line-ups feature Raya in goal for Arsenal and Gyokeres up front, with Bayer likely led by Terrier. Analysts predict an Arsenal victory at home.
