HAVERTZ LATE PENALTY EARNS ARSENAL DRAW AT LEVERKUSEN.

Arsenal needed a late Kai Havertz goal to secure a 1-1 draw against Bayer
Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Leverkusen went ahead early in the second half when captain Robert Andrich
headed in from Alex Grimaldo’s corner, marking the first time Arsenal had trailed in
this season’s competition.
Havertz, who spent a decade at Leverkusen before leaving in 2020, came off the
bench to convert a late penalty after Noni Madueke was fouled, rescuing the visitors
in the 89th minute.
The goal followed a brief exchange between Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover
and Leverkusen manager Kasper Hjulmand after the hosts scored from a corner.
“You do it too, eh?” Jover told Hjulmand, referring to both teams using similar
blocking tactics at set-pieces.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted frustration at conceding from a routine his
players had already studied.
“We showed them three clips… and we weren’t ready for it,” Arteta said.