Kai Havertz scores agains – Arsenal and Chelsea debut season comparison highlights progress

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Scored twice against former club 

“Tsamina mina, eh, eh waka waka, eh, eh 60 million down the drain Kai Havertz scores again,” the chant has become commonplace wherever Arsenal have played in recent months. The German international haunted his former club Chelsea on Tuesday night as he netted a brace in the Arsenal’s scintillating 5-0 win – their biggest ever win over their London rivals. The result moved Arsenal three points clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League and four ahead of Manchester City, although Jurgen Klopp’ men have a game in hand and Pep Guardiola’s side have two. But Arsenal laid down an impressive marker and it was Havertz’s name that reverberated around the Emirates at full-time and rightly so.

It is a significant turnaround in fortune for a player who was quickly considered a bust after being signed for €75 million from Chelsea last summer. “There is no doubt Havertz had a tough start to life at Arsenal,” Content Manager UK and Arsenal expert Ben Littlemore said. “There was a lot of pressure on him, mainly because he was signed from a rival club in Chelsea, and many people felt Arsenal had overpaid for him. In the first few months, Havertz was making great unselfish runs and stretching the game, but looked nervous on the ball and was failing to deliver the final product.”

Havertz’s sensational form and debut season comparison

If Arsenal go on to win the league then Havertz’s contribution during the business end of the season will be pivotal. After not scoring for the Gunners until matchday seven in the Premier League, Havertz has scored seven goals and provided four assists in his last 10 league appearances. As the graphic below illustrates, only Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins have provided more goal contributions in the league that Havertz’s 11 since February

It was fitting that the German international highlighted his recent improvement against his former club, Chelsea. Havertz will always hold a special place in the hearts of Chelsea fans after scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City but he never realised his full potential at Stamford Bridge after joining from Bayer Leverkusen. His versatility was often his weakness at Chelsea as he was moved around positions without being provided the required time to grow into a role. While Arteta has also used Havertz in different roles, he has thrived as the central striker in recent months with the freedom to roam. Havertz’s double against Chelsea last night means he surpassed his goal contributions in his debut season at Arsenal and Arteta was effusive in praise. “I must say that Kai Havertz’s overall contribution in every phase of play was tremendous. When you add the two goals he scored and some of the link-up play that he had in big moments, it was a great performance”.

Kai Havertz – What changed at Arsenal? 

What then changed for Havertz at Arsenal?  “Since Gabriel Jesus got injured in January, Havertz has been primarily used as the focal point of Arsenal’s attack and recently he has been thriving,” Littlemore said. “He is beginning to use his superb aerial ability to get headed goals, and his intelligent runs in behind are leading to chances he’s now taking,” Littlemore said. “Those aforementioned clever runs are also creating lots of space for the likes of Saka and Martin Ødegaard to flourish. “His versatility to play up front or in the left 8/10 position has made him vital to Mikel Arteta this season.”

That versatility hasn’t always been in Havertz’s favor. Havertz played his best campaign in 2018/19 when he scored 17 goals and four assists in 34 Bundesliga games for Bayer Leverkusen. That season, Havertz mainly was employed as a classic playmaker behind a classic no.9 with traditional wingers on either flank. Once he joined Chelsea, Havertz went on a quest to find his best role. Indeed, whether it was for club or country, it almost felt like coaches didn’t quite know how to employ Havertz. And the database underlines this. During his entire club career, Havertz has played 167 games as an attacking midfielder (36 goals 29 assists), 85 games as a center-forward (32 goals and nine assists), 52 games as a right winger (18 goals and 11 assists), 24 games as a central midfielder (four goals and one assist), seven games as a left winger (one assist) and one game as a right midfielder. 

Havertz – Long-term no.9 for Arsenal and Germany?

The lack of a clear role has meant that Havertz never seemed to have fulfilled his potential that made him the most sought-after commodity in European football after he burst onto the scene as a teenager for Leverkusen. But the evidence might suggest that this might now finally change and indeed, it is crucial to remember here that Havertz is still only 24. Those watching Havertz closely will have observed that the German has not just bulked up but also has grown to a total of 193cm since arriving in the Premier League. 

In other words, Havertz isn’t the gracious playmaker that he was for Leverkusen when he kicked off his career. Today’s Havertz seems more robust and a bit more direct. More importantly, Havertz also appears to be more impactful in the air, which is crucial when wanting to survive the physicality thrown at you by Premier League defenders. It also means that Arteta now trusts Havertz to lead the attacking line, which, in turn, means Havertz finally has a defined role as a no.9. Regularly starting as a no.9 for Arsenal also could provide Havertz with an edge ahead of Euro 2024 as Germany lacks depth among strikers.

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