Saka's Trigger-Happy Display Draws Bent's Ire as Arsenal Seal Leverkusen Demolition

Arsenal's passage into the Champions League quarter-finals came wrapped in a degree of controversy around one of their star performers, as the Gunners dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Tuesday night to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory and keep their unprecedented four-competition push on track.

Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice provided the goals that sent Arsenal through, with the hosts firing 13 shots on target against the German side. All the ingredients for a night of unqualified celebration were present – yet former Spurs and England striker Darren Bent couldn't resist raising a finger at Saka's performance.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent suggested the winger's display, whilst not outright poor, contained moments of self-indulgence that bordered on desperation. "It's not so much poor, but it's just a little bit greedy and he's bordering on a little bit desperate in terms of some of the shots he shoots when he shouldn't," Bent explained. "He should pass it a couple of times. But listen, last night was a little bit difficult for him because they were doubling up on him defensively."

The standout moment of Arsenal's night came courtesy of Eze's 36th-minute thunderbolt, which cracked open Leverkusen's resistance. Bent was effusive in his praise for the summer recruit from Crystal Palace, emphasising the importance of consistent playing time for a footballer of his calibre. "Eze, this is one of those examples where I've said to you before on a number of occasions, footballers need rhythm," Bent noted. "And regardless of how he's playing Eze, just keep planning. Keep giving them the minutes and eventually things like this will happen because he's a special talent. And that goal there was, oh my goodness."

Manager Mikel Arteta was equally bullish about Eze's contribution and trajectory. The Spaniard highlighted the midfielder's understanding with his teammates and the relentless intensity he brings to both possession and pressing phases. "He is playing I think every three days now, he has a rhythm, an understanding with his teammates as well, what we want, and especially his level of activity, with and without the ball – in the spaces that he moves and the purpose that he's showing every time he's in and around the box as well," Arteta said.

Arteta further underscored Eze's importance to the project, noting that his current playing time far exceeds what he'd accumulated in previous seasons. "Comparing the minutes he's playing now with his career, he's playing much more now than in any other season, so that tells you as well the consistency he's showing, he's always fit," the manager continued. "Today he had to come off – he has a lot of minutes in him, but he's handling the pressure of the situation and the expectation very well."

Arsenal will now face Sporting CP in the quarter-finals, with their bid for an unlikely Quadruple remaining very much alive.