Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta appeared in a press conference following the 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 at the Emirates Stadium.

The coach said, "We started the match excellently, and we were a threat from all sides. Their goalkeeper kept them in the game, and we needed a magical touch from Eberechi Eze to give us the lead."

He continued: "Rice's goal? When we talk about skill, the ball was fantastic, it hit the ground hard, and the reaction of all the players around him is the best evidence. That's why he's here."

He added: "We are playing in the Champions League. So when you get four or five chances and don't score a goal, it becomes frustrating. It was a great moment from Declan at the end of the match. We want to create more opportunities like this for the players because we have many players capable of doing that."

When asked if his changes were related to the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, he said: "It was good to make changes and involve some players, but I had to substitute some players due to their extensive playing time. That's why they were replaced, it has nothing to do with Sunday's match."