Eberechi Eze struggles to locate Arsenal badge during nonchalant celebration after stunning opener against Bayer Leverkusen in UEFA Champions League

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Eberechi Eze's nonchalant celebration against Bayer Leverkusen backfired when he failed to locate the Arsenal badge on his shirt. The midfielder opened the scoring in the last 16 second leg at the Emirates with a stunning strike from range. He played it cool with the celebration, strolling away and lifting the front of his shirt, but he eventually realised he was not lifting the badge as hoped.

'Oops!' - Eze scores rocket... then forgets where the Arsenal badge is

Video credit: TNT Sports

Eberechi Eze opened the scoring in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League with a sensational strike - but the midfielder’s celebrations may need some work.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, Eze’s thunderous effort in the opening period at the Emirates gave Arsenal the upper hand for the first time in the last 16 tie.

The 27-year-old played it cool with his celebration, strolling away from the edge of the area as he was mobbed by his team-mates, some with their hands on their heads in disbelief.

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Eze was also lifting the front of his shirt to the crowd, though it was somewhat unclear why to start with as the Arsenal man raised a blank section of his jersey.

After a few seconds had passed, he looked down at his chest and realised his mistake, that he was not lifting the Arsenal badge for the supporters to see as he had seemingly hoped.

"He's celebrating with the wrong part of his shirt," TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher later noted.

"He think he's showing the crowd the Arsenal badge."

He quickly corrected his error and grabbed the badge before letting out a sheepish smile and doing his usual celebration of a cross-shaped gesture with his fingers.

Ally McCoist chimed in on commentary: "You know something, I'm letting him off. He can do anything he wants after a goal like that."

Highlights: Eze and Rice beauties see Arsenal into quarters

Video credit: TNT Sports

The goal was Eze’s first in the Champions League and his ninth in all competitions this season.

The midfielder took the ball wonderfully on the half-turn and, with it bouncing in front of him, fired it into the top left corner from the edge of the box.

Commentating on the strike on TNT Sports: Ally McCoist: "That’s just absolutely ridiculous, the power on that. He can strike a football, I’m stating the obvious.

"He takes it on the half turn and bang. The power. The goalkeeper dives, and it’s by him.

"That is just an incredible strike of the football. I haven’t seen a ball hit as hard as that in a long time. Absolutely wonderful strike, what a goal. The goalkeeper has no chance."

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown added: "This is such a sweet, pure strike from a player who you want in that forward area.

"When it comes to him, the technique there, a little swivel and bang. You might have saved six shots earlier in the game, but try and save this. Good luck with this.

"What about this for a ball, which has been hit pure. Straight off the middle of the bat, and suddenly Arsenal are 1-0 up."

After scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur in November, Eze went almost three months without another goal before bagging a brace in the reverse fixture against Spurs.

But he is finding form at the right time as Arsenal continue to compete on all four fronts, with six goal involvements in his past nine games, while he has started in six of the Gunners’ past seven games.

Arsenal doubled their lead on the night in the second period as Declan Rice stroked home a sublime goal from the edge of the area, giving the Gunners a 3-1 lead on aggregate.

The north London side will now face Sporting in the quarter-finals after the Portuguese outfit overturned a 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Bodo/Glimt earlier on Tuesday.

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