Havertz's late penalty rescues Arsenal draw at Leverkusen

Kai Havertz scored a late penalty to earn Arsenal a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the BayArena on Wednesday.

Leverkusen took the lead early in the second half when captain Robert Andrich headed in from a corner kick delivered by Alejandro Grimaldo. The goal came shortly after the interval, putting Arsenal behind in a match where they had dominated possession without creating clear chances.

Arsenal appeared headed for defeat until the 89th minute, when Malik Tillman was adjudged to have fouled substitute Noni Madueke in the penalty area. The decision was upheld following a lengthy VAR review, despite protests from the home side. Havertz, who had come off the bench and received a warm reception from Leverkusen supporters, converted the penalty with a composed finish.

The match was marked by a cagey opening period in which neither team won a corner until injury time of the first half. Leverkusen's social media account had posted before kick-off joking that "no corners allowed" would be their strategy against Arsenal, a team known for targeting set-piece opportunities this season. After Andrich's goal from a corner, the account posted "Well, this is awkward."

Arsenal entered the fixture having won all eight of their league phase matches but produced what was described as a drab overall display. The Gunners were breached by the set-piece goal, a method they themselves have relied upon frequently this season. Havertz's equalizer preserved Arsenal's unbeaten record in European competition this season, though the draw leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the second leg.