By Bonface Mulyungi
Arsenal set up a Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon as superb goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice completed a 3-1 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The Gunners needed a late Kai Havertz penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw from the first leg but produced a dominant display at the Emirates Stadium to continue their hunt for silverware on four fronts.
Eze broke the deadlock on the night in the first half when he controlled a Leandro Trossard pass and rifled home a sensational finish from outside the box for his fourth goal in seven games.
Rice added the second in similarly eye-catching style after the hour mark, cutting out a Leverkusen clearance then driving towards the edge of the box and stroking an exquisite finish into the corner.
The visitors owed it to their goalkeeper that the margin of defeat was not greater. Janis Blaswich made a total of 10 saves as Arsenal laid siege to his goal for long periods, with Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard among those denied.
Ben White, starting only his second game since late January in place of the absent Jurrien Timber, also had a first-half effort saved at point-blank range following a goalmouth scramble.
The visitors were restricted to few chances but did go close on one occasion in the closing stages, when David Raya was forced into an acrobatic, one-handed save from Christian Kofane.
The victory pits Arsenal against Portuguese side Sporting, who overcame a three-goal first leg deficit to beat Bodo/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate earlier on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side now face Manchester City in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final on the back of two invaluable victories, with their latest following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League as their hopes of silverware continue to grow.
