Arsenal secured a controlled 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, but the post-match reaction offered just as much insight as the performance itself.<\/strong><\/p>\n Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice sealed progression, yet it was Rice\u2019s comments after the game that stood out.<\/p>\n Speaking after the final whistle, Rice pointed directly to Eze\u2019s unique quality suggesting there is still more to come from the midfielder within this Arsenal system.<\/p>\n It was a revealing admission from one of the team\u2019s leaders on a night where individual brilliance made the difference.<\/p>\n Rice did not hold back when asked about Eze\u2019s impact. Speaking to TNT Sport after the game, he said: \u201cThere aren\u2019t many players that I\u2019ve seen that can hit the ball like him. We need to get him on the ball more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Embed from Getty Images<\/p>\n In a team often praised for structure and control, this suggests there is still room to lean further into individual flair.<\/p>\n Eze\u2019s goal justified every word. With the game tight and chances limited, he produced a moment of pure quality from outside the box, striking through a bouncing ball with precision and power. It was not just the technique, but the decisiveness.<\/p>\n While others had been probing for openings, Eze took responsibility and changed the game in a single action.<\/p>\n That kind of ability is rare. Rice\u2019s comments show how highly it is valued within the squad.<\/p>\n Embed from Getty Images<\/p>\n Rice\u2019s call to get him on the ball more points to a potential evolution in how Arsenal approach these moments. It is not about replacing control, but complementing it with unpredictability. This win showed Arsenal can manage knockout football effectively. They controlled space, limited chances, and took their moments clinically.\u00a0But Rice\u2019s words suggest the players themselves believe there is another level to reach.<\/p>\n If Eze becomes more central to their attacking phases, Arsenal could add a sharper edge to their already disciplined structure. The midfielder\u2019s ability to strike from distance adds a dimension Arsenal have lacked in previous Champions League campaigns. Teams sitting deep against the Gunners must now account for his shooting threat from range.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arsenal secured a controlled 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Declan Rice calls for Eberechi Eze to receive more possession<\/h3>\n
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