Kai Havertz has yet to get going in the Arsenal jersey. Coach Mikel Arteta takes him to task – but also himself.
A title already! No defeat yet! Dream start in the Champions League! That’s how you could talk about Arsenal FC’s first few weeks of the season, but you’d be in the clear minority. A Gunners fan who is currently raving about his team to his circle of friends probably does not exist. Rather, there is a lot of guesswork about what is missing in Mikel Arteta’s team, which is actually better in terms of quality than it was in the very strong runners-up season of 2022/23. There is no getting around Kai Havertz.
Even after nine games, the summer signing, who cost up to 75 million euros, is still waiting for his first scoring point; in the league, he has not even managed a shot on goal. He is emblematic – in the still young season – of a team that is not yet able to do what it should be able to do and which, due to a lack of consistency, is “already” four points behind leaders Manchester City.
“There are so many areas in his game that he does outstandingly well “
“We are trying to help him as much as we can, be by his side, give him tools, confidence and minutes of action so he can exploit his talent,” coach Arteta said on Friday. “There are so many areas in his game that he does outstandingly well and we all know there are some that he needs to continue to improve.”
Among the obvious tools so far is not using Havertz as a striker, unlike at Chelsea FC and most recently in the German national team, but primarily on the left in a midfield three. Apart from that, Arteta did not specify his instruments. And what about the minutes?
The last time Havertz played was in the League Cup against FC Brentford (1:0), but so did goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has effectively lost his number one status to newcomer David Raya. In the league, on the other hand, Havertz has only been substituted in the past two games as the pressure mounts to end his slump in form especially near goal.
With Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, two attacking rivals may return from injury breaks as early as Saturday’s friendly with AFC Bournemouth, even though both are one position ahead of Havertz. At the same time, Fabio Vieira, who forced Havertz out of the starting eleven against Everton (1-0) and Tottenham (2-2), is pushing for more appearances.
“He has to slide into the team,” says Arteta, playing for time with Havertz. The 24-year-old has only played “three, four times” with his new colleagues in the new position and is not the first to reveal teething problems either. “If they don’t perform, it’s up to us. “
