Arsenal will aim to get past Bayer Leverkusen in this return fixture at the Emirates, with the game poised at a 1-1 scoreline from the first leg.
Arsenal will switch their focus to the task at hand in the UEFA Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen following their success at the weekend vs Everton in the Premier League. The feeling after their win over the Toffees was that the Gunners did their part in the title race, with the bonus of Manchester City dropping points in their game against West Ham later.
With the Gunners not playing another league tie until well after the international break, this week could make or break their chances in two other competitions. First up is the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates, followed by the EFL Cup final against Manchester City at the weekend.
Mikel Arteta will be completely focused on the task at hand in the Champions League, with the game currently poised at 1-1. In the first leg, Bayer Leverkusen took the lead from a corner at the start of the second half, and it took a late penalty for Arsenal to come back into the tie. The Gunners will hope they can get the better of their visitors on Tuesday, as this is a big night for the North Londoners.
If there is a sense of devaluing the power of Bayer Leverkusen, one must simply look at their last two games before they head out to the Emirates. Kasper Hjulmand’s men followed their draw to Arsenal last week with a big clash in the Bundesliga against leaders Bayern Munich and came away with another 1-1 draw.
Their result was massively boosted by the fact that Bayern Munich were down to nine men following the dismissals of Nicolas Jackson and Luis Diaz in the second half. However, their effort in a big game showcased the fact that Hjulmand will have his side ready for the big test at the Emirates.
The tie is very much in the balance despite Leverkusen having to travel to take on Arsenal, who could take advantage of a galvanised home crowd. This game is vital for both teams in the context of their objectives this season, but the home side might see the tie slightly favoured towards them.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Jurrien Timber is set to miss out in the second leg after suffering a problem in the win over Everton, as the Dutchman was taken off well before the half-time whistle blew. Martin Odegaard is also absent, with Mikel Arteta stating the skipper could be pushing to be involved at the weekend against Manchester City in the cup final.
Timber’s absence is also considered a matter of days rather than weeks or months, which will be a boost, probably for the EFL Cup final, but a blow for the second leg against Leverkusen. Arteta surprisingly used Cristhian Mosquera at right back rather than Ben White, although he has insisted the latter is fit, which could be an indication he might start on Tuesday.
There are no other changes, which might see Arsenal start with a similar team to the weekend, although Leandro Trossard’s fitness does hand Arteta a timely boost. If fully fit, the Belgian winger is likely to replace Noni Madueke on the left flank, while Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz are expected to continue in their attacking spots.
Arteta might make a late decision on his starting left-back, with Piero Hincapie only used off the bench at the weekend. So, the Ecuadorian international start on Tuesday. Beyond that, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Eberechi Eze are all expected to start for Arsenal against Bayer Leverkusen.
Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Havertz
Bayer Leverkusen
Kasper Hjulmand was dealt two fresh blows in the Bayern Munich draw as Aleix Garcia suffered a head injury, while attacker Martin Terrier was on the end of a nasty tackle by Nicolas Jackson. The Bayer Leverkusen boss was hopeful of the latter returning fit for the game against Arsenal, but only time and a late assessment will tell the clearer story. As for Garcia, he might miss out if concussion protocols come into play.
Equi Fernandez, who started at the weekend, could keep his place in midfield should Garcia miss out, while Exequiel Palacios is certain to start. Leverkusen are still missing a host of their first-team stars, such as Mark Flekken, Loic Bade, Arthur, Lucas Vazquez, and Eliesse Ben Seghir, ahead of this trip to North London.
Hjulmand can also call upon key star Alejandro Grimaldo, who missed out at the weekend with a domestic ban. Striker Patrik Schick is thought to be fit again, and the manager must choose between starting him or the impressive Christian Kofane to lead the line for Bayer Leverkusen against Arsenal.
Probable Line-up (3-4-1-2): Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; Poku, Fernandez, Palacios, Grimaldo; Maza, Tillman; Schick
Key Stats
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 13 games across all competitions.
- Arsenal have won all four of their UEFA Champions League home games this season, scoring 12 and conceding only three.
- Bayer Leverkusen have drawn five of their last six games across all competitions.
- Bayer Leverkusen have lost eight of their last 11 trips to England, but won two of their last three in this regard.
- Only Arda Guler (29) has created more chances than Alejandro Grimaldo (26) in the UEFA Champions League this season. The Spaniard’s total is now the most by a Bayer Leverkusen player in a single edition on record (since 2003-04), overtaking Florian Wirtz’s 25 last season.
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
The English winger struggled for relevance in the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, and he will want to correct that with a top-notch display for Arsenal. With a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at stake, Mikel Arteta will want his star man to turn up in this key moment.
From a team perspective, the win over Everton has somewhat brought life back into their season, and Saka must take advantage of the momentum and lead his side by example. This will be another key battle for Alejandro Grimaldo and Edmond Tapsoba to contend with, and Saka will want to put his name on top when the match ends.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Kasper Hjulmand will certainly hope his side puts in a similar performance to the one they delivered in the reverse fixture on home soil, but there are obvious challenges away from home. The prospect of playing a third high-intensity game should not be an excuse for this Bayer Leverkusen side, but they will face a tough test away at Arsenal.
Arsenal are very strong at home, and Mikel Arteta will certainly want his team to bring their A-game on the night in a bid to qualify for the next round. The Gunners have the momentum and the home advantage in this clash, as they are widely expected to take home a win and move into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
