Mikel Arteta has been praised by Alan Shearer and Micah Richards for transforming an Arsenal star’s career around
Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards believe Mikel Arteta has brought out the very best in Kai Havertz, explaining why all the head-scratching over his Chelsea inconsistencies have been truly eradicated and has transformed into a “really impressive player” this season.
Havertz moved across London to Emirates Stadium in summer 2023, with Arsenal paying Chelsea a fee worth £65m for a player who never quite fulfilled his enormous potential while at Stamford Bridge. And while Havertz will be remembered in Blues folklore for having scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, his time at SW6 was very much a frustrating one.
Thrust into a more central attacking role this season, on Saturday Havertz scored for the sixth successive home game in a row as they came from behind to beat Southampton 3-1. That strike – a fierce left-footed drive that flew in off the post – was also the fourth straight game in which he has scored.
Marvelling at his display and his performances overall so far this season, both Shearer and Richards believe Havertz is finally delivering and can now be considered a ‘real centre forward’.
“Yeah, I think he’s really impressing me in terms of his performances and goals,” Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.
“He has been a real centre-forward, not just his goals, but his hold-up play, what he’s doing for the team, bringing players into the game, challenging for balls in the air when perhaps he knows he might not win them but trying to make it awkward for defenders, so I have been really really impressed with him this season.”
Richards agrees with Shearer and feels Arteta has transformed the 53-times capped Germany international into a quality player.
“I think the good thing about Havertz is he has been able to adapt to what the manager wants because we were always scratching our heads, where is he going to play, what’s his best position, he has found his role, but he scored in a Champions League final,” the former Man City defended said.
“Let’s respect what he can deliver. German international. I remember when he was at Leverkusen early doors in his career and everyone was going crazy for him.
“Yes, players have a little bit of a dip, he was going through a time at Chelsea where things were going, but now he has found his home. He has found his home and he is delivering.”
Arsenal target Barcelona gem / Gunners given Guimaraes encouragement
The Gunners have been transformed under the management of Arteta and after several astute signings from sporting director Edu.
But like any club in world football, they are never the finished article and the search for players who can further improve them is an ongoing process.
The 18-year-old, who can play off either wing, has been described as a ‘gem’ by the Spanish media and, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it’s claimed the Gunners are looking into a cut-price January deal or even as a free agent next summer.
Elsewhere, ongoing speculation over Thomas Partey – the Ghanaian’s deal is also due to expire at the end of the season – has seen Arsenal linked with a fresh move to sign Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
How Kai Havertz compares at Arsenal versus how he did at Chelsea
Havertz arrived at Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020 and spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge, making 139 appearances in all competitions.
He registered nine goals and six assists in his debut season before getting 14 goals and five assists in 2021/22 and nine goals and one assist in 2022/23. Overall, the Germany international registered 32 goals and 12 assists in 139 appearances for Chelsea.
He averaged a goal every 281.9 minutes in a Chelsea shirt and a direct goal contribution every 205 minutes.
The 25-year-old moved to Arsenal in the summer of 2023 and registered 14 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances in all competitions in his debut season.
He’s made a strong start to 2024/25 with six goals and one assist in 10 appearances, taking his overall total to 20 goals and eight assists in 61 appearances for Arsenal.
Havertz is currently averaging an Arsenal goal every 233.2 minutes and a direct goal contribution every 166.6 minutes – considerably higher than his averages at Chelsea.
If he maintains his current performance level at Arsenal, he’ll be at 45 goals and 18 assists when he makes his 139th appearance for the Gunners.
The forward has scored a total of 36 Premier League goals in the last four years, with 19 of those goals for Chelsea and the other 17 goals being for Arsenal.
But he made 91 league appearances for Chelsea and has only made 44 league appearances for the Gunners.
Havertz also has more Premier League assists (8) for Arsenal than he managed during his three years at Chelsea (7).
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