Overview
- Robert Andrich headed in Alejandro Grimaldo’s corner 45 seconds after half-time, capitalising on a routine Arsenal had been warned about.
- Arteta criticised a lack of attention and urgency on restarts after staff showed players pre-match clips of Leverkusen’s kick-off and corner patterns, and Hjulmand later discussed offensive blocking with Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
- Noni Madueke won an 89th-minute penalty that Kai Havertz converted, with Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand insisting it was not a foul as pundits pointed to contact on replays.
- Early officiating was questioned when Andrich avoided a second yellow card, a decision former referees’ chief Keith Hackett supported even as other observers argued he should have been sent off.
- Bukayo Saka was replaced around the hour mark after a subdued display, and Arteta’s substitutions—Madueke and Havertz—helped tilt momentum to leave the tie level before next week’s game at the Emirates.