Eberechi Eze thunderbolt helps Arsenal reach Champions League quarter-finals

Eberechi Eze scored a stunning first Champions League goal as Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to march into the quarter-finals.

Eze opened his European account with a spectacular 20-yard thunderbolt before Declan Rice added a classy second to seal a 3-1 aggregate success.

Arsenal had found Leverkusen tricky opponents in Germany last week, needing a last-gasp Kai Havertz penalty to snatch a 1-1 draw.

But they were totally dominant at an Emirates Stadium still basking in the giddy elation of Max Dowman’s history-making goal against Everton on Saturday.

There was nothing ‘ugly’ or ‘boring’ about this win for the critics to moan about, either.

Mikel Arteta’s side swaggered their way into the last eight for the third successive year and, with Sporting Lisbon the opposition, they will fancy their chances of reaching another semi-final at least.

Moreover, with a nine-point lead in the Premier League, a Carabao Cup final meeting with Manchester City on Sunday and an FA Cup quarter-final at Championship Southampton to come, an unprecedented quadruple is edging tantalisingly closer as the weeks go by.

With 16-year-old Dowman among the substitutes again, Leandro Trossard was back in the starting line-up after a hip injury.

The Belgian had the Gunners’ first real chance after he was teed up by Bukayo Saka 20 yards out, curling his shot towards the top corner and forcing a flying save from Janis Blaswich.

Moments later, a Saka corner found the familiar head of Gabriel Magalhaes, but the defender nodded the ball just over the crossbar.

Blaswich had to parry a free-kick from Rice and an angled drive from Saka, before the busy Leverkusen goalkeeper made a superb reflex save from Trossard.

When Saka took another corner short, Blaswich kept out Trossard’s shot and then denied Ben White from the rebound.

The dam finally burst 10 minutes before half-time, and it was well worth the wait.

Eze, on the edge of the box, took one touch with his left foot to control Trossard’s pass, swivelled and launched a rocket with his right past Blaswich and into the top corner.

After the break Piero Hincapie – against the club from whom he is still on loan – and Viktor Gyokeres went close to doubling the lead.

Hwoever, it was Rice who put the tie to bed just after the hour mark, latching on to a weak clearance, striding forward and stroking the ball home from the edge of the area.

Even when Leverkusen threatened late on, David Raya pulled off a fine save to deny Christian Kofane a consolation as the Gunners completed a statement win.