Watch: Arsenal thump Bundesliga champions in preseason friendly

Not even two minutes later, forward Leandro Trossard capitalized on a mistake by the Leverkusen goaltender and finished off a chaotic sequence in front of the goalmouth with a sweet skill move, doubling Arsenal's lead.

So far this offseason, Arsenal confirmed only one incoming transfer — Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori. But it still has not addressed the glaring need for a goal-scoring striker.

Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022, made his case to step into that role with a smooth cut across the top of the box in the 38th minute and wired the ball just inside the left goalpost to extend the lead to 3-0.

Kai Havertz, who saw his attacking midfield position transform into a faux-striker role with Arsenal last season, provided manager Mikel Arteta with more confidence in that decision when he sniffed out a deflected ball in front of goal in the 65th minute to seal the victory.

Leverkusen would pull a goal back in the 76th minute to make it 4-1, but the crowd's focus was trained on former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, who joined the German champions before last season.

The fans gave Xhaka a well-deserved ovation, and after being subbed off in the 80th minute, the midfielder embraced his former manager, Arteta, on the sideline.

Arsenal face French side Olympique Lyon in the final preseason match Sunday before the Premier League begins Aug. 17.