Mikel Arteta praises Eberechi Eze’s stunning goal as Arsenal beats Bayer Leverkusen 2-0, securing a 3-1 aggregate win and advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Eberechi Eze’s moment of magic inspired Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, securing a 3-1 aggregate victory and booking their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Eze’s thunderbolt strike from the edge of the area late in the first half was the turning point in the game.

That Eze goal…close to a certain Thierry Henry goal, right?pic.twitter.com/2iCG9jy7w3

— Triple M (@Tripple____M) March 18, 2026

Mikel Arteta hailed Eze’s goal as “magical”, saying it was the moment that gave Arsenal the lead and ultimately secured their win. “We needed a magical moment from Ebs to give us the lead,” Arteta said.

Eze has been in excellent form recently, and Arteta believes his confidence is growing. “Ebs is playing every three days; he has rhythm, has an understanding with the players, and this is why he is here,” Arteta said.

Declan Rice was also influential for Arsenal, scoring a clinical finish to seal the win. Arteta praised Rice’s passion and ability to push Arsenal to new heights. “Declan was immense, him and the whole team – the manner they go into every ball and the passion they show is remarkable,” he said.

Arsenal’s win sets up a quarter-final clash with Sporting Lisbon, and they will be favored to progress. The Gunners have won nine and drawn one of their 10 games in the Champions League this season

The win is ideal preparation for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday. They lead the Premier League by nine points and are chasing a first English title in 22 years.

Arteta was able to rotate his squad, giving key players a rest ahead of the Carabao Cup final. “It was good to rotate and get those players in, but I had certain players that needed to come off because of the amount of time they are playing,” he said.