In the recently concluded second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Arsenal convincingly defeated Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate, successfully advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals.

After the match, manager Mikel Arteta highly praised the outstanding performances of goalscorers Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice, and quickly turned his attention to the upcoming League Cup final.

Throughout the match, Arsenal displayed overwhelming dominance on both ends of the pitch. Eze scored a spectacular long-range shot from outside the box in the first half, breaking the deadlock and marking his first ever Champions League goal. In the second half, Rice, who was named Man of the Match, also sealed the victory for his team with a goal.

After the match, Arteta praised both players. He commended Eze for his magical finishing ability in deadlock situations: "We've seen many shots like that from him in training, but ultimately, he came here to step up in crucial moments, like today's critical moment."

"He is growing, and I think he is starting to show his abilities now. All we need to do now is for him to maintain a consistent performance."

Arteta described midfield maestro Rice's performance as phenomenal: "Considering his extremely heavy playing time this season, his performance today was still phenomenal. He led the team on every level."

It's worth noting that this is only the second time in Arsenal's history that they have reached the Champions League quarterfinals for three consecutive seasons, the last time being between 2008 and 2010. Arteta emphasized that achieving this result was extremely difficult given the current multi-front campaign and incredibly congested schedule, and the players' efforts deserve recognition.

However, the team didn't have much time to celebrate. Arsenal's focus immediately shifted to Wembley Stadium, where they faced a formidable Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Image source: Internet/Arsenal official website