Highlights: Eze and Rice beauties see Arsenal into quarters

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Karen Carney believes Arsenal will “need to be more clinical” than they were against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday to win the UEFA Champions League this season. The Gunners won 2-0 at the Emirates thanks to sublime goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice, earning them a 3-1 aggregate victory in the last 16 tie and a place in the quarter-finals against Sporting CP. 

However, Rice told TNT Sports after the game that Arsenal “could have maybe scored three or four,” with Mikel Arteta’s men managing 21 shots during the game.

Contrary to her fellow TNT pundit and former Arsenal player Martin Keown, Carney believes the north London side will need to be more ruthless in the latter stages of the competition if they are to win their first Champions League title. 

“I disagree, respectfully,” Carney responded after Keown said he was satisfied with the attacking display. “I think they do need to be more clinical. I think Declan said it as well.

“When you get these opportunities, you maybe see other teams that have played in the competition already tonight, they’re clinical, they’re ruthless. When they get into the final third – bang. It’s that instinct, cut-throat.”

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Highlights: Chelsea capitulate in bruising defeat to ruthless PSG

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She added: “I think Arsenal have done a great job. I was confident. I knew they would get through. I thought they’d be the better team – they’re stronger, they’re physical.

“But the better teams that you play at the real top, top tier of European football, it only takes one moment, and they have to take them, Arsenal. 

“That’s my only criticism. They’re finding their way, they’re in a great position in four competitions, but that last little bit in the finals, it’s going to be those moments.”

Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich was in inspired form on Tuesday night, particularly in the first half, denying Leandro Trossard on three occasions and Gabriel twice before Eze opened the scoring after 36 minutes. 

Despite converting just two of their 12 attempts on target, Arsenal did exceed their expected goals for the game. 

This was perhaps helped by the fact that both of their goals came from outside the area, with Eze rifling an effort into the top left corner before Rice stroked home into the bottom right corner in the second half. 

The Gunners were the top scorers in the league phase of this season’s Champions League, with 23 goals across their eight fixtures. 

However, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain now top the charts for the campaign, having sealed an 8-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea on Tuesday after beating Monaco 5-4 over two legs in the play-off round, adding to their 21 goals from the league phase. 

Arsenal remain the most prolific side in the Premier League, with 61 goals so far this season, bettering second-placed Manchester City’s tally by one. 

The Gunners will now face Sporting for a spot in a second successive semi-final, where they would face either Barcelona, Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur.

Up next, though, is the Carabao Cup final against City at Wembley on Sunday, when they will aim to win their first piece of major silverware since the FA Cup in 2020.

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