Kai Havertz came back to haunt his former club as his late penalty earned Arsenal a dramatic 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash at the BayArena.
Arsenal looked set to suffer their first defeat of this season’s Champions League campaign after Robert Andrich gave the hosts the lead early in the second half. However, the Gunners were handed a lifeline in the closing moments when substitute Noni Madueke won a penalty, allowing Havertz to step up and calmly rescue a valuable result for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The first half was a cagey affair, with clear-cut chances at a premium. Arsenal came closest to breaking the deadlock when Gabriel Martinelli rattled the crossbar after a sharp counter-attack, but overall both teams struggled to find real rhythm in attack.
Leverkusen made the perfect start to the second half, striking just 45 seconds after the restart. The move came moments after David Raya had produced an excellent save to deny Martin Terrier from close range. From the resulting pressure, Alejandro Grimaldo swung in a dangerous inswinging corner and Robert Andrich rose highest to head home, punishing Arsenal with a well-worked set-piece.
The goal forced Arsenal to chase the game, but the Premier League side found it difficult to break down a disciplined Leverkusen defence. Jurrien Timber headed over from one of their few promising openings, while Arsenal’s attacking play lacked sharpness for much of the contest.
Just when it seemed Leverkusen would take a slender advantage into the second leg, Arsenal found their breakthrough. Noni Madueke, who made a lively impact off the bench after replacing Bukayo Saka, burst into the box and went down under a challenge from Malik Tillman. The decision sparked angry protests from the home side, but after a lengthy VAR review, the penalty was confirmed.
Havertz, warmly received by the Leverkusen supporters after coming on against his former club, kept his composure in the 89th minute and slotted the penalty home to silence the BayArena and hand Arsenal a crucial equaliser.
Despite the late goal, Arsenal will know they were far from their best. They managed just six shots in total and only two on target, with Havertz’s penalty sparing them from what would have been a frustrating defeat.
Still, the late leveller could prove massive in the context of the tie, with Arsenal now heading into the second leg in London level on aggregate and with momentum restored.