After the draw at the BayArena, Arsenal take on the 2024 Bundesliga Champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates. The German side, which was managed by names like Xabi Alonso and Erik Ten Hag in the last two years, take on the English League leaders who seek their first league title in 22 years.
Arsenal started quite well off the ball, with good pressing intent in the first three minutes. Ben White stepped into the midfield, which he should be no stranger to during his time at Leeds and Brighton, while Saka and Trossard held the width. Arsenal seek to drag Leverkusen out of their shape and pick them apart, and the German giants know this, and because of this, they are patient to time their press, instead of pressing haphazardly. The first corner for Arsenal was missed by Gabriel in the eighth minute. Arsenal, without the ball, play a 4-4-2 press with Ebere Eze pushing up beside the striker Viktor Gyokeres. Bayer 04 also try to get the ball to Poku who looks skilful on the ball and may cause concern for former Leverkusen man Piero Hincapie.
Blaswich denied Leandro Trossard in a well-worked move by the Gunners in the fifteenth minute. In the opening phases, Arsenal’s structure allows for much fluidity by rotating which made it difficult for Bayer 04 to go man-for-man. Leverkusen’s rear-guard is a 5-4-1 formation without the ball. When they have the ball, Quansah stays a little bit wide off Andrich, who although normally is a midfielder, is being deployed as a center-back. Max Dowman is on the bench after being the youngest player to score in the Premier League against Everton.
Kofane, the Bayer 04 striker looks isolated when fed the ball. Another additional outlet player would be useful as Arsenal have well-marshalled the Cameroonian’s threat without much fuss.
The twenty-eighth minute provides a good save by Janis Blaswich as Arsenal tightened their grip on the match looking for the opening goal. Arsenal kept their dominance, hoping for a slip-up in Bayer 04’s defensive block.
And all of Arsenal’s dominance paid off with Ebere Eze with a shot that was out of this world. A volley from about twenty-five yards into the top left hand corner. Nothing that Blaswich could do about Arsenal’s number ten’s powerful effort.
I must again highlight the rotational fluidity in Arteta’s Arsenal, with Trossard sometimes being closest to the center-backs, while Piero Hincapie may bomb forward if the structure allows for it. Arsenal in the closing phases, had their team in a 4-2-4 shape, with Eze and Gyokeres pressing up as the two strikers.
The ref blows for halftime, with Arsenal deserving their lead so far.
The second half began with Trossard shooting wide of the Bayer Leverkusen goal in the forty-ninth minute. Leverkusen had more time on the ball than they had in the first half. Arsenal’s defensive aim is to ensure that their opponents move the ball from side to side, while Leverkusen are trying to play through the press in the middle. In the sixtieth minute, Tillman and Culbreath were introduced into the game in order to level the match. Before that, though was Trossard on the right hand side while Declan Rice was in a center-back position showing the rotations that Arteta has incorporated into the team. In the sixty-first minute, Gyokeres tried to tee up Hincapie but was denied by Bayer 04’s defenders. However, Arsenal’s second wind has paid off, as they had chance after chance and made it pay with Declan Rice shooting into the bottom right hand corner.
Die Werkself has had more possession after the second goal, with Arsenal content just to sit back and hit 04 on the break. Arsenal, with a cup final on Sunday, decided to be pragmatic and bring on Norgaard, Martinelli and Mosquera as a precaution for the Carabao cup final.
In the final ten minutes of the ninety regulation minutes, Bayer Leverkusen appear to commit men forward to get a goal which will get them back in the game. Bayer’s tactics almost contributed to a grand stand finale when Kofane hit a well-struck shot in the eighty-seventh minute which was palmed away by David Raya. That chance summed up Hjulmand’s tactics of trying to play through the press of Arsenal, although it has been unsuccessful throughout the game.
In summary, Arsenal were the better team as they made the most of the moments they had with Eze scoring in the thirty-sixth minute, while Declan Rice scored in the sixty-third. Two-nil is an accurate reflection. Congrats to the Gunners.
Ore M. 
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