Arsenal rescued a crucial late draw against Bayer Leverkusen after fighting back to secure a 1–1 result in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoff clash in Germany on Wednesday.
The Premier League side looked set for defeat at the BayArena after the hosts broke the deadlock early in the second half.
Midfielder Robert Andrich rose above the Arsenal defence in the 46th minute to power a header into the net from a corner delivered by Alejandro Grimaldo.
Leverkusen controlled large spells of the encounter following the opener, forcing Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya into several key interventions to keep the visitors within reach.
Arsenal, however, remained persistent and nearly equalised earlier in the match when Gabriel Martinelli struck the crossbar with a powerful effort during a lively first half.
Manager Mikel Arteta introduced fresh attacking options late in the game as Arsenal intensified pressure in search of an equaliser.
The breakthrough eventually came in the closing stages when the referee awarded Arsenal a penalty following a foul inside the box. After a brief VAR review confirmed the decision, substitute Kai Havertz calmly converted from the spot in the 89th minute, placing the ball into the bottom corner beyond goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.
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The dramatic equaliser silenced the home crowd of more than 30,000 spectators and ensured Arsenal returned to London with a valuable result ahead of the decisive second leg.
Leverkusen had earlier created several opportunities to extend their lead, with players such as Aleix Garcia and Christian Kofane testing the Arsenal defence, but the English side held firm to keep the deficit manageable.
The draw leaves the tie finely balanced heading into the return leg at the Emirates Stadium, where both teams will battle for a place in the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition.
