Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal: Gunners undone by own set-piece weapon
Havertz’s late penalty against his former club revealed a different perspective on what was the disappointing performance Arsenal had hoped for.
Arteta felt there were “different phases” to the game and that his side were “very dominant” in the first half, but failed to capitalize on the early chance when Gabriel Martinelli’s powerful shot hit the crossbar.
He also uncharacteristically substituted key player and captain Bukayo Saka after a below-par performance, but his replacement Noni Madueke won the penalty that allowed Arsenal to avoid defeat in the competition for the first time this season.
Leverkusen were not happy with the penalty award as Malik Tillman’s body appeared to make contact with Madueke’s foot as he trickled towards the penalty area.
But Havertz kept his cool to ensure Arsenal remain favorites for next Tuesday’s game at the Emirates Stadium.
“We are confident we can get the job done in London. The manager told us to go ahead and try to change the game,” Madueke said.
“I don’t really know what happened [for the penalty] I just know that I felt contact, went down and got penalized.
“Kai Havertz has been scoring high-pressure penalties all his career and showed great composure to recover. He was really pleased, not only for himself but also for the team.
“When you come in and your team is losing, it gives you that extra rush to try to turn it around.”
Arteta is “not surprised” by Madueke’s impact as she is his “biggest asset”.
“He’s very brave in doing that and Noni is a real threat. To have a player with that ability when you need him and to intervene like he did has given him great credit,” the Spaniard added.
Arsenal have avoided first-leg defeat in four of their last five Champions League knockout matches (W2 D2 L1), having improved in two of their previous three draws.
However, they have lost nine of their previous 16 matches at this stage of the tournament and progressed seven times.
Arsenal are still in contention for trophies in four competitions and are aiming for their first silverware since their FA Cup victory in 2020.
Arteta was pleased that his team remained calm as they left Leverkusen with a draw.
“Yes, that’s why I said emotionally it’s going to be a very different game because this is a team that’s very, very good at transition and you’re in more of a rush to create danger and end the game in a draw and you can get caught doing that,” he said.
“Emotionally I liked it, we understood what we had to do.
“The execution level definitely needs to be better and it will be better in the second game as well. We will adapt to a few things and yes, we will move on.”
