Arsenal had Kai Havertz to thank for saving the day in Germany as the Gunners drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Far from vintage Arsenal, Leverkusen opened the scoring through Robert Andrich in the 46th minute and were struggling to amount to much in the final third.
That was until the fixture’s final embers as Noni Madueke darted into the box and was brought down by Malik Tillman.
Whether the contact was enough to warrant a spot-kick is certainly up for debate – but Halil Umut Meler pointed to the spot and VAR, manned by Rob Dieperink and Tiago Martins, agreed. Havertz converted the resulting penalty against his former club.
Keown praises Arsenal’s unsung hero vs Leverkusen
In what was a night to forget for Arsenal, it was Havertz who took the plaudits for his last-gasp effort from 12 yards out – but former defender Martin Keown believes another player changed the game.
Firstly, he delved deeper in Bukayo Saka’s struggles on Wednesday night. The Englishman was substituted on the hour mark and fans were less than impressed with his display.
“They were certainly very sloppy at the start of the second-half so they will look at that the decisive management of Arteta, taking Saka off who was not having one of his best nights,” he told TNT Sports, per The Metro.
“There were reasons for that, it wasn’t just his fault, the structure on that right hand side just wasn’t right.”
It was Saka’s replacement, Noni Madueke, who was showered with praise by Keown. “Madueke with that driving run getting the penalty, he was so dynamic when he came on and I think he transformed Arsenal on that right hand side.”
Read More: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal: Player ratings and match highlights
Asked if Madueke could start ahead of Madueke, the pundit continued: “No. There are other reasons why it didn’t work over on that right hand side.
“You think about what they have had over the years with Odegaard, he would be on there to complement that three.
“You might have Ben White making runs down the outside and Timber is coming inside and they were doubling up on him. It wasn’t easy but Madueke found a way to get through,” Keown – who played at Arsenal across two spells – concluded.
Madueke’s importance for Arsenal and Arteta
For plenty of campaigns, Arsenal’s real vulnerability was a lack of options on the right wing beyond Saka. Has Madueke – signed from Chelsea for £52 million in July – be the antidote to their issue?
His display against Leverkusen perhaps proves so.
Arteta is now able to take off his starring Englishman and not see a drop off in his side’s attacking potency. Madueke’s directness on the ball is an attractive prospect for a team fighting on all fronts.
Watch Madueke’s highlights from his 30-minute cameo vs Leverkusen:
That’s not to say that he’ll be a regular starter between now and the end of term but with Arsenal historically struggling to break down low blocks, Noni Madueke has proved he can wreak havoc – something that is crucial.
