Havertz, Jesus Power Arsenal Past Leverkusen

The Bundesliga champions were comfortably defeated in north London, with the German and Brazilian stars demonstrating awe-inspiring performances.

Arsenal's capacity to generate sufficient goals has been a topic of debate; however, they emerged victorious in a preseason exhibition against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, triumphing 4-1 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. 

Mikel Arteta's team was in excellent form from the outset, as they faced a German squad that appeared to be significantly below the standard that Xabi Alonso anticipates following their remarkable 2023-24 campaign.

In the penultimate friendly before the commencement of the Premier League campaign, the north London team netted goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz. 

However, there were numerous other impressive performances from the players who wore the renowned red jersey.

Eight minutes into the match, Zinchenko propelled the Gunners to the lead by executing an exceptional maneuver that resulted in the release of Havertz down the left wing. 

He had abundant space to work with and cut the ball back into the box. Martin Odegaard pulled off a dummy to allow it to travel to Zinchenko, who blasted it into the bottom corner.

The host team doubled their lead in a mere minute, and it was a result of their improved ball control. Arsenal's intense pressing and a mistake by Leverkusen resulted in Trossard gaining possession and initiating a clever passing sequence. 

The Belgian was subsequently in the ideal position to score from inside the box, with Havertz again providing the assist.

Arsenal maintained their lead over their German opponents and scored their third goal after 38 minutes, although the situation temporarily subsided. Jesus seized the ball and advanced down the left side of the field before cutting in and firing beyond Matej Kovar after Leverkusen lost possession high up the field.

Upon sending the team out for the second half, Arteta implemented several significant adjustments, which enabled Bukayo Saka to participate in the festivities. 

The Englishman was in a good mood as he burst past a Leverkusen defender and sent a dangerous pass into the center of the box. 

The ball bounced off Aleix Garcia and fell perfectly for Havertz to score the goal he deserved against his former team.

Leverkusen was granted additional flexibility by Arsenal's numerous substitutions in the second half, as they could score a goal later. 

However, the harm had already been inflicted, and Arteta will likely perceive that there were significantly more advantages than disadvantages.

Kai Havertz

Arsenal's assaults were significantly influenced by the Germany international from the outset, as he faced the team that had propelled him to the Premier League.

 He performed miracles by delivering the ball to the center of the field for Zinchenko to score, and his deft pass immediately following the goal provided the Gunners with ample breathing room by enabling Trossard to score. 

In the second half, his exceptional positioning was demonstrated when he found himself in an ideal position to score a well-deserved goal, bringing the score to 4-0 after 66 minutes.

He was not merely rooted in one area of the field, as is typical of Havertz. To assist his team in gaining possession of the ball and alleviate the strain on the rest of the team, he was effectively utilized by dropping back and causing chaos.

Arteta may reinstate the Germany international to the No.10 position after orchestrating this victory from midfield, which would undoubtedly alleviate the burden on him to score himself as he wound down the previous season in a more central forward role.

Suppose Gabriel Jesus is to demonstrate that he deserves a position in an Arsenal team that aspires to end a 20-year wait for a Premier League title at the expense of a winning juggernaut like Manchester City. 

In that case, he will be under the impression that he must accelerate his performance this season.

He only scored four goals in 27 league appearances in the previous season. As a result, many experts believe that Arsenal must improve its Brazilian attackers to win a significant trophy.


Nevertheless, Jesus has consistently delivered exceptional performances during the preseason, garnering substantial praise from his manager. 

This was yet another endearing performance. He exerted significant effort throughout the pitch, even when not directly threatening the goal. 

However, his critics were further reminded of his potential by his lengthy, exceptional run, culminating in him slamming the ball into the net late in the first period.

The English team was not anticipating a straightforward victory against a Bayer Leverkusen team that had only lost one game throughout the 2023-24 campaign.

However, Arteta's team was able to easily defeat their German counterparts, as their high pressing, precise passing, and robust defensive setup rendered them speechless. This allowed the Premier League runners-up to dominate them.

He will be elated to witness the high-profile players deliver such exceptional performances; however, Arsenal's modifications enabled them to alter their approach and continue to dominate their opponents.

 Despite conceding a goal later on, Arsenal's juvenile XI maintained a strong appearance on the field by the match's conclusion. This is a significant positive for the Spanish coach as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Alonso will be the subject of much attention in the upcoming year following his remarkable 2023-24 campaign, which earned him the title of Europe's most sought-after coach. 

He chose to remain in Germany over offers from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

His tactical acumen and his team's thrilling manner were instrumental in their Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal victories, which propelled them to the Europa League final. 

Their visit to north London did little to elevate the excitement surrounding them, even though football enthusiasts will be anxious to observe how he enhances this team even further during the 2024-25 campaign.

Throughout the game, his team could not contend with Arsenal's pressure, muscle, and tempo, placing them in second place. 

They committed numerous errors that resulted in the host team gaining possession in critical areas, and even their most important players were squandering golden opportunities.

If they are to maintain the excitement they created last season, Alonso and Leverkusen will need to substantially improve their performance.