Eager to impress incoming Frankfurt manager Albert Riera, Arnaud Kalimuendo had an early chance to make it 1-0 in a third successive appearance, but an apparent foul by Robert Andrich inside the box went unpunished.
Even a VAR review did not change Robert Schroder’s original decision, and with Die Adler losing some composure thereafter, Arthur fired in his first Bundesliga goal on 26 minutes, after playing a one-two with Alejandro Grimaldo on the right side of the box and running inside it to convert from a narrow angle.
Leverkusen stifled any attempts at an instant fightback and then deservedly doubled their advantage just seven minutes later.
A near-telepathic sequence of just three passes on the counter culminated in Christian Kofane playing the ball back for Malik Tillman, who hammered in a low shot beyond the dive of Kaua Santos.
As well as being the perfect follow-on from a midweek brace against Villarreal, it was his fourth Leverkusen goal of six to extend their lead.
The first half would close with potentially game-changing headers off target at both ends, and Frankfurt capitalised on their own let-off just five minutes after the restart.
Leverkusen’s defence twice failed to clear their lines, and that allowed Aurele Amenda to cross in for Robin Koch to fire in at close range, after seeing his initial attempt parried back to him by Janis Blaswich.
Perhaps sensing there was nothing to lose, Frankfurt continued to build momentum, but their afternoon took another downturn with 20 minutes to play, when a reckless lunge from Ellyes Skhiri on Kofane saw both men leave the field immediately, via a second yellow card and an injury, respectively.
Understandably, that took the sting out of Frankfurt’s attack, though only a flying save denied Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab a late leveller, as he angled a shot in at the near post following a blistering run.
Koch also headed wide by a hair, keeping the fixture without a draw since December 2014, and with this victory, which saw them net a third in injury time via Aleix Garcia’s cool close-range finish from an incisive Ernest Poku through ball, Leverkusen are once more in striking distance of the Bundesliga’s top four.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt’s hopes of European qualification are now likely reliant on a seventh spot opening up in the coming months.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Arthur (Bayer Leverkusen)