Havertz rescues Arsenal late in Champions League draw at Leverkusen
Kai Havertz scored a late penalty as Arsenal came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash at the BayArena.
The German forward, who spent a decade at Leverkusen before joining Chelsea in a £71m move in 2020, calmly converted from the spot in the 89th minute after Noni Madueke was brought down by Malik Tillman inside the penalty area.
Leverkusen strike early in second half
Arsenal had fallen behind early in the second half when Robert Andrich headed home a well-delivered corner from Alex Grimaldo just a minute after the restart.
The Gunners entered the contest with a perfect record in the Champions League this season, and manager Mikel Arteta rotated heavily, making 10 changes to the side that defeated Mansfield in the FA Cup fifth round at the weekend.
Arsenal made a bright start and nearly took the lead when Gabriel Martinelli, already with six goals in the competition this term, struck the crossbar after being picked out by Viktor Gyökeres.
Havertz delivers late equaliser
Leverkusen almost doubled their advantage shortly after the interval when Martin Terrier forced a save from goalkeeper David Raya following a well-worked move from kick-off.
However, Arsenal boss Arteta turned to his bench, introducing Madueke and Havertz, a decision that ultimately changed the game.
Madueke’s driving run into the box ended with a challenge from Tillman, prompting the referee to award a penalty despite protests from the home crowd.
Havertz stepped up and converted confidently, celebrating quietly against his former club, whom he joined as a youth player in 2010.
Arsenal take advantage into second leg
Although Arsenal saw their perfect Champions League record come to an end, the late equaliser leaves them in a strong position ahead of the second leg in London next week.
With the tie level, the Premier League side will head into the return fixture as favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.