Arsenal Pay Price For Lapses In Concentration Against Leverkusen, Says Arteta

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Kai Havertz converted a late penalty to earn Arsenal a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last 16 first leg, but Mikel Arteta highlighted concentration problems. Arsenal trailed from the 46th minute at BayArena and needed Havertz’s 88:33 spot-kick to avoid returning to North London with a deficit.

Despite the setback, the Opta supercomputer still projects Arsenal as strong favourites to reach the quarter-finals, giving the Premier League side a 79% chance of progressing. The second leg takes place at Emirates Stadium next Tuesday, with the winner to face either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting in the last eight.

Arteta’s main concern centred on the way his team fell behind so soon after half-time. Robert Andrich was left completely unmarked at the far post and headed past David Raya from a corner, just 45 seconds into the second period. The move began from Leverkusen’s planned kick-off routine immediately after the restart.

The opening sequence underlined Arsenal’s lapse in detail. Leverkusen used a forward kick-off pattern that allowed Martin Terrier to break through and test Raya. The goalkeeper pushed away the shot, but the home side capitalised from the resulting corner, with Andrich’s header putting Kasper Hjulmand’s team ahead.

That goal carried statistical significance for Arsenal in Europe. It was only the second time Arsenal had conceded in the first minute of the second half in a major European fixture. The previous instance came in March 2010, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored for Barcelona in a Champions League tie.

Havertz’s equaliser also entered the record books. Timed at 88 minutes and 33 seconds, it became Arsenal’s latest penalty goal in a major European match since Nicklas Bendtner’s spot-kick against Porto in March 2010, clocked at 90:26. The Germany international struck against the club where Havertz first made a name.

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The balance of play shifted during the match. Arsenal started brighter and almost led when Gabriel Martinelli’s effort hit the crossbar. Arteta later felt his side enjoyed spells of control but struggled to create enough clear actions in the final third, which allowed Leverkusen to threaten regularly in transition and set-piece situations.

Arteta reflected on those momentum swings and the need for improved focus, especially around set pieces and restarts. "The game had very different periods. We started well, had a massive chance, hit the crossbar with Martinelli," Arteta told TNT Sports. "We had some dominance, but didn’t do enough actions. They were quite dangerous because of that. We didn’t pay enough attention at kick-off, and after they scored the goal. We had to stay emotionally very composed, we improved with the changes and found a way to draw the match. These are the details. They have certain routines, we didn’t do it, and we paid the price for it."

Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen Champions League last 16: Confidence, controversy and second-leg outlook

The draw continued a useful pattern for Arsenal in recent Champions League knockout campaigns. They have now avoided defeat in the first leg in four of their last five ties in the competition, recording two wins, two draws and one loss in that run. Arsenal progressed from two of the previous three such match-ups.

Noni Madueke, who came off the bench and won the late penalty, expressed optimism about Arsenal’s position before the return leg. "We came here to try to win, but when you can’t, it’s good to draw," Madueke said. "We’re fully confident heading back to the Emirates, we’re confident we can get the job done back in London."

The decisive spot-kick followed Madueke’s drive into the area, where Malik Tillman’s challenge brought the winger down. Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand and goalscorer Andrich made clear their unhappiness with the decision, but the referee stood by the call, giving Havertz the chance to score from 12 yards.

Madueke later described both the incident and Havertz’s reliability under pressure. "I felt contact, so I went down, penalty. I know Kai very well, he’s been scoring high-pressure goals all his career. I had 100 per cent confidence in him," Madueke added. "When you come on and your team is losing, you’ve got extra impetus to take risks. I tried to mix it up as much as possible. When you score in the last minute to draw it’s a positive. We know we could have been better, but away to a top team, it’s a positive result. Our basics could be better. On the ball, we weren’t as good at threatening their box, but we will show that in London, for sure."

As attention turns to Emirates Stadium, Arsenal hold no aggregate advantage but retain home support and encouraging historical numbers. The tie with Bayer Leverkusen remains finely balanced, yet the late recovery, Opta projections and past first-leg resilience provide a platform that supports Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.