[Not Zinchenko] He will not start today because He lost 19 duels against Brentford’: Arteta says He will drop £60m Arsenal player today amid poor recent form
There can’t be many more enigmatic figures in the Premier League this season than Arsenal’s summer signing Kai Havertz.
When Granit Xhaka surprisingly left the Gunners after a career-best season, plenty of questions were asked as to who would be the Swiss midfielder’s replacement.
Would it be Declan Rice playing in a more advanced role? Would Martin Odegaard take up a new position or would Oleksandr Zinchenko even be transitioned back into more of a central role?
Well, the answer was no to all of those queries. Mikel Arteta had a different idea. That was to spend £65m on Havertz, a man who had flattered to deceive in a Chelsea shirt.
Those at Stamford Bridge struggled to identify the German’s best position and truth be told, his spell in west London was somewhat of a failure, even if he had scored the winning goal in a Champions League final.
For a player who promised so much at Leverkusen, it hasn’t truly worked out for him in England, perhaps until now.
Kai Havertz’s recent form
The money spent on the Germany international over the summer was an extortionate amount, even if they did then shell out £100m on Rice.
However, this was a player who had only netted 32 goals and registered 15 assists across 139 outings for his previous employers.
It was in stark contrast to his days in Germany, where the now 25-year-old had once netted 20 times in a solitary season for Leverkusen.
Based on that number, you can begin to see why Arteta envisioned Havertz playing in that left-sided number eight role that Xhaka thrived in.
Until last Sunday, his only goal for the club had been from the spot, however. A pitty penalty perhaps, as Odegaard handed him the ball in an away victory over Bournemouth.
However, since the international break, the attacking midfielder has come alive. Reinvigorated by a spell at left-back for Germany – yes you read that right – Julian Nagelsmann looks to have revived Arsenal’s mega-money signing.
Havertz was the man who appeared at the back post in the dying embers to win the game against Brentford. heading home from a fine Bukayo Saka cross.
He was then the man to open the scoring in the 6-0 rout of Lens in midweek. In Xhaka-esque fashion, he arrived late into the penalty area, ghosting between the defenders to prod home from Gabriel Jesus’ cushioned-headed assist.
It looks as though finally, Havertz has arrived at the Emirates Stadium.
Havertz could make £27m man suffer
Against Brentford last weekend, Arteta tasked Leandro Trossard with playing in the middle of the park.
This wasn’t an unsurprising choice as the Belgian actually featured in a deeper role throughout pre-season, notably starring against the MLS All Stars. Hardly the finest of opposition, no doubt, but it was interesting to see him play such a vital role as a number 8.
Possessing the technical elegance and magical abilities of a certain Santi Cazorla, fielding the former Brighton man in that role does make sense. He can ghost past players with ease, has wonderful vision and can find the net.
Sadly against Brentford, it didn’t quite go according to plan. As per Sofascore, Trossard lost the ball a worryingly high 19 times. You could potentially excuse this from a wide player attempting plenty of crosses but for a player in central areas, that was concerning.
To put that number into context, no player in Arsenal colours lost possession on more occasions with fellow midfielders, Rice and Odegaard, ceding the ball on nine and eight occasions respectively.
Furthermore, he registered an awful pass success rate of just 68%, the worst return from any outfield starter in Arteta’s side. The £27m signing also managed just one key pass throughout his time on the field.
Of course, Trossard’s best role is out on the flanks but this was a wasted opportunity to prove he could become a regular in midfield.
The tricky attacker wasn’t selected against Lens in the Champions League but it would not be a surprise if he was benched from the Premier League starting lineup when the Gunners face Wolves. Havertz’s form has now become too good to ignore. Isn’t it funny how quickly things change in football?
