Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal: Champions League last 16, first leg – live reaction | Champions League
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“Go and try to change the game,” says Noni Madueke on TNT re. the advice Arteta gave him just before he came on. “When you come on and your team is losing the game, it gives you that extra impetuous to try to take risks, because you need to change it.”
On what didn’t quite click for Arsenal tonight overall, Madueke says: “Our basics: on the ball we weren’t as good as we can be today in terms of threatening their box. But we’ll be better in London.”
The only 100% record in this year’s competition is over! Arsenal, who won eight from eight in the group stage, have drawn. But this will feel better than some victories, I’d wager. Mikel Arteta would have taken level pegging going into a second leg at home, but especially after a flat display and having gone a goal down.
Whatever your views on the softness or otherwise of that penalty decision, Noni Madueke has been a difference-maker for Arsenal – not just off the bench today, but with handy contributions throughout the season. He’s been a fine signing. (By the way, it’s Alex Reid here – filling in for Rob as the great man has had to dash.)
Full time: Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
A job well done for Arsenal. It wasn’t a great game but the result is king and they are strong favourites to go through next week. In a game of few chances, Robert Andrich’s header was cancelled out by a late penalty from the former Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.
90+3 min Grimaldo and Havertz are booked for not much at a corner.
90+1 min Three minutes of added time.
90 min “Surely set pieces are the meat and potatoes and/or roast dinner of the game?” says James Humphries. “Can’t see George Graham’s Arsenal having much time for a (affects generically furrin accent) _charcuterie board_, can you?”
Where do Steve Bould’s little eyebrows fit into all this?
GOAL! Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal (Havertz 89 pen)
Havertz passes the ball low into the corner. Blaswich went the right way, to his right, but couldn’t reach it.
87 min: Penalty given VAR had a good look and the decision stands. Kai Havertz is going to take the kick against his old club.
86 min: Penalty to Arsenal!
Madueke, who has made a difference since coming on, surges into the area and is tripped by Tillman. There wasn’t much in the challenge but a penalty has been given on the field.
84 min Martinelli’s cross is headed over from six yards by Timber, who couldn’t quite get over the ball. Tough chance.
82 min: Arsenal substitution Gabriel Jesus on, Ebere Eze off.
82 min: Leverkusen substitution Jonas Hofmann and Equi Fernandez replace Exeuqiel Palacios and Martin Terrier.
81 min “Why is there so much focus on Arsenal’s meat-chess prowess?” asks Peter Oh. “What are Bayer, chopped Liverkusen?”
80 min It’s all Arsenal now, though Janis Blaswich’s gloves remain largely unsullied.
79 min Madueke’s routine inswinger is headed away at the near post. They need Madueke to win the corners and Saka to take them.
78 min Madueke runs his man to win a rare corner for Arsenal…
77 min Kofane leads another Leverkusen break, slips a defender on the edge of the D and leaves the ball for Garcia. He shoots high and wide.
76 min “Charcuterie!!” writes Matt Dony. “Ok, we can all stop now. Joe Pearson has made the most Guardian joke imaginable in an MBM. It was all leading up to this moment. Take a bow, son. And let’s all move on.”
75 min: Leverkusen substitution Ibrahim Maza is replaced by Malik TIllman.
75 min: Arsenal substitution Warm applause from both sets of fans as Kai Havertz, once of this parish, replaces Viktor Gyokeres.
74 min Martinelli beats his man and stands up an adequate cross that just evades Gyokeres.
73 min Lots of Arsenal pressure now but it’s all a bit sterile. Madueke has been good – and, more importantly, urgent – since coming on.
71 min “With all this talk of a ‘selection of large defenders’ and ‘meat chess’, I can only think of set-pieces as the football equivalent of charcuterie boards,” writes Joe Pearson. “But who gets to be the decorative herbs and the handful of unwanted olives?”
That’s my favourite ever description of Lionel Messi.
69 min Zubimendi is booked for a foul on somebody. He won the ball but followed through with his studs; you can argue it both ways.
68 min Since you asked, Christian Kofane continues to look a class act in almost everything he does. If he’s not a star of the future, we might as well all pack up and go home.
67 min I doubt Arsenal will be too worried if this ends 1-0, especially now there is no away-goals rule. But 2-0 would be a different story so this is an important last quarter of the game. Leverkusen have played excellently to restrict Arsenal to so few chances.
65 min Raya charges to within 10 yards of the halfway line to beat Kofane to a long ball forward. Excellent sweeper-keeping from one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
64 min “If it’s true that Arsenal can’t defend corners delivered to the back post they’re going to have their hands full with Everton on Saturday,” says Matt Burtz, “because that’s a team who likes to do exactly that, with a selection of large defenders to head them goalwards as well.”
‘A selection of large defenders’ is my favourite ever description of James Tarkowski.
62 min Palacios is booked for a late tackle on Zubimendi. The referee played the advantage and then went back once the move petered out.
60 min: Arsenal substitution Noni Madueke replaces the subdued Bukayo Saka.
59 min Rice’s floater his somebody, possibly Hincapie, and goes behind for a goalkick.
59 min This is effectively a short corner for Arsenal. Rice is over it…
58 min Arsenal have curbed Leverkusen’s enthusiasm and are starting to dominate possession again. Martinelli is fouled just outside the area on the left wing by Poku, who has his name taken.
56 min “That didn’t seem like a particularly tricksy corner from Leverkusen, and yet they scored,” writes Kári Tulinius. “It half makes me wonder if the meat chess that is the modern Premier League dead-ball situation has left English defences unused to dealing with a normal set piece.”
MEAT CHESS! That’s the football phrase of the year. Might be the phrase of the year full stop.
54 min Scott Murray has the team news ahead of Real Madrid v Manchester City.
53 min No response yet from Arsenal. In fact Leverkusen are the busier, more purposeful side just now.
49 min That goal led to a (friendly) exchange between Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand and Arsenal’s set-piece coach, I forget his name.
48 min Well that’s changed the mood.
GOAL! Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal (Andrich 46)
It was a temporary reprieve for Arsenal. The resulting corner, on the right, was curled extravagantly beyond the far post by Grimaldo. Andrich arrived late, peculiarly unmarked, and headed decisively past Raya.
46 min: Fine save by Raya!
Leverkusen almost take the lead inside 10 seconds. Kofane finds Grimaldo, whose early cross is headed towards goal by the leaping Terrier and pawed over the bar by Raya. That’s a fabulous save.
46 min The second half is under way.
Half-time reading
Heard the one about the game that produced 36 red cards?
Half-time: Leverkusen 0-0 Arsenal
Lots of probing, not much penetration. Gabriel Martinelli came closest to scoring when he hit the bar after a crisp Arsenal move. At the other end, Leverkusen’s teenage striker Christian Kofane caught the eye without creating anything of note.
45+1 min Nowt comes of the corner. There will be two minutes of added time.
45 min Kofane has a 20-yard shot blocked by Saliba after a quick Leverkusen break. Maza backs up the play and wins a corner.
43 min “Bayer’s almost invincible team feels like it came and went so fast,” writes Zach Neeley. “Their manager has already left and been fired from that new job*, Ange was fired by Forest a while ago and he started mid-season! Compared to all that, Arsenal slowly building for a few years before winning the league would be positively old-fashioned.”
* Possibly to next take over Liverpool, where Klopp’s replacement has already won the league and lost his way(ish)
41 min Gyokeres turns smartly and finds Eze. He feeds Martinelli, whose nothing cross is booted clear.
Gyokeres has looked sharp tonight.
39 min Both teams continue to play with their guard up. You can understand why. Leverkusen are wary of Arsenal’s quality; Arsenal know they have home advantage in the second leg.
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