Arsenal booked their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday night with a composed 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium, sealing a 3-1 aggregate success in this Round of 16 second leg.

With a one-goal cushion in the tie and a place in the last eight on the line, Mikel Arteta’s side delivered a mature European performance. They were clinical in the key moments, sharp without the ball, and ruthless when Leverkusen left space to attack.

The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute, and it was a goal worthy of the occasion. Eberechi Eze, making his mark on the biggest club stage, struck his first Champions League goal in style to lift the Emirates and put Arsenal firmly in command of the fixture. It was the kind of moment knockout ties often turn on, and from there the home side looked increasingly settled.

Leverkusen saw more of the ball across the night, finishing with 58.4 percent possession, but Arsenal carried the greater threat. The Gunners registered 21 shots, 12 of them on target, and repeatedly forced the visitors onto the back foot despite seeing less of the ball. Arsenal also won 10 corners and consistently found dangerous spaces in transition.

Any hope of a Leverkusen response was dealt a major blow in the 63rd minute when Declan Rice doubled Arsenal’s lead. Rice’s goal gave the tie real clarity, pushing Arsenal two goals clear on the night and leaving the Bundesliga side with far too much to do. From that point, the hosts managed the tempo well and never looked in serious danger of letting the aggregate advantage slip.

Leverkusen’s frustrations began to show early in the second half when Exequiel Palacios was booked in the 46th minute, and while the visitors earned eight corners of their own, they struggled to turn territory into clear openings. They finished with only nine shots and just two efforts on target, a reflection of Arsenal’s control in the decisive areas of the pitch.

At full time, the 2-0 result felt fully deserved. Arsenal were more incisive, more efficient, and better equipped for the demands of a high-stakes European night. Eze’s 36th-minute strike set the tone, Rice’s 63rd-minute finish finished the job, and the Gunners now march into the quarterfinals with momentum building at just the right time.

Final score: Arsenal 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: Eberechi Eze 36′, Declan Rice 63′
Aggregate: Arsenal win 3-1