Arsenal Vs Leverkusen: Champions League line-ups drop as White and Trossard start at the Emirates
arsenal vs leverkusen is live at the Emirates Stadium today with a Champions League quarter-final place on the line. Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen come into the second leg level at 1–1 after a first meeting in Germany swung on Robert Andrich’s second-half opener and a late Kai Havertz penalty. The winners of this tie will go on to face the two-legged victor between Bodo/Glimt and Sporting CP in the next round.
Team news: White and Trossard named in Arsenal XI for Arsenal Vs Leverkusen
Arsenal have confirmed their starting XI for the night: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Leverkusen’s XI is set as: Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; Poku, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo; Terrier, Maza; Kofane.
The selection call that will jump out immediately is on the left wing, where Leandro Trossard gets the nod, leaving Gabriel Martinelli to start on the bench. One more goal for Martinelli would move him to seven in a single Champions League campaign for Arsenal, matching Thierry Henry’s club record for that mark, but he will need to do it as a substitute tonight.
What’s at stake: a quarter-final place after a 1–1 first leg
This second leg arrives after a first match that left little margin for error. In Germany, Leverkusen struck first when Robert Andrich scored early in the second half, and Arsenal had to wait until late on for Kai Havertz to convert a penalty and make it 1–1. That equaliser has Arsenal in a strong position heading into the return at home, but the tie remains wide open with one goal capable of flipping the momentum instantly.
Arsenal also carry confidence into the night after a 2–0 win against Everton on Saturday. Beyond the result, the message is clear: Arsenal are arriving with rhythm, and the Emirates is expected to be a key factor again in a European night where small moments can decide everything.
Key tactical pressure points
Leverkusen showed in the first leg that they can be disciplined and tactically sharp, and that matters because Arsenal can struggle to break down organised defences. If the game stays tight, the feeling inside the stadium can shift quickly, and things can get nervy.
Set pieces also stand out as a potential swing factor. Leverkusen pose a considerable threat from dead-ball situations, an area Arsenal know can decide a tie at this level.
From Arsenal’s perspective, a storyline to watch is how they manage space out wide. In the first leg, Bukayo Saka had a difficult night and was replaced on the hour mark, with the wide areas initially crowded and hard to exploit. But the match turned on one moment of direct running when Noni Madueke found space and won the late penalty. That lesson will matter as Arsenal look for different ways to ask questions of Leverkusen’s defensive structure.
Immediate reactions: confidence meets caution inside Arsenal’s camp
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s side also have a notable European home record in the Champions League during his time in charge, with just one home defeat in the competition in that period. That statistic underlines why Arsenal will believe this is set up for them—yet the first leg already showed that Leverkusen are capable of landing a punch and forcing Arsenal into a chase.
For Leverkusen, the challenge is straightforward: reproduce the discipline and bravery they showed in Germany, where they found ways to escape Arsenal’s press and open the game up, with Aleix Garcia and Exequiel Palacios central to their control in midfield.
What’s next
The path beyond tonight is already defined: the winner of arsenal vs leverkusen will move on to a quarter-final against the eventual winner of Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP. For now, everything narrows to one night in north London, where the line-ups are set, the tie is level, and the next round is one result away.
