#ARSB04 – Match facts
Arsenal have only been eliminated in three of the 20 knockout rounds in which they've avoided defeat away from home in the first leg. Although the last time that happened, against Sporting CP in the round of 16 in 2022/23, current coach Mikel Arteta was in the dugout. Leverkusen can also take encouragement from the fact that the Werkself have fared well on their recent visits to England, winning two of their last three UCL away games against English clubs.
That includes the 2-0 success over Manchester City on Matchday 5 of the league phase, when Alejandro Grimaldo, normally a creator, netted the opening goal. The Spaniard has set up the second-most attempts to date in this season's competition (26) and also provided the assist for Bayer 04's goal in the first leg against the Gunners. After serving a one-match ban in the Bundesliga at the weekend, Grimaldo should be fresh to start on the left in North London.
arsenal update
Arteta's men struggled for a long time against Everton on Saturday but demonstrated their perserverence again, breaking the deadlock in the 89th minute before striking again in stoppage time. In the first leg at the BayArena, substitute Kai Havertz scored the late equaliser and, as well as their belief in themselves, highlighted another of Arsenal's strengths: the quality from the bench. Havertz's strike was the Gunners' seventh goal scored by a substitute - the most in the current Champions League season. Plus, two important players could return to the North Londoners' already strong squad, as our extensive opponents update reveals.
