4 goals in his last 4 EPL games 

©TM/IMAGO

“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 weeks. Whether at home at the Emirates or on the road, Havertz has been scoring goals for fun lately. The 24-year-old German has now scored in his last four Premier League games to become Arsenal’s second-best goalscorer in that competition this season behind Bukayo Saka.

It is a significant turnaround in fortune for a player who was quickly considered a bust after being signed for €75 million from city rivals 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.”

To quantify this, Havertz didn’t score a goal in the Premier League until matchday 7, when he scored a 4-0 win against Bournemouth. The next goal didn’t come until matchday 13 when Havertz scored the 1-0 winner against Brentford. Two more goals followed in the next four games, but even with his productivity ticking upwards, there was a sense of dissatisfaction among Arsenal supporters. Havertz seemed like a bad investment or rather £60m down the drain. 

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. Jesus, in fact, suffered two knee injuries in recent months. The Brazilian missed one game in January and another five in February (overview).  Indeed, with Jesus out, the goals started coming for Havertz. The German scored in the 5-0 win over Burnley on February 17 and then scored in three more consecutive Premier League games, including the 2-1 winner against Brentford on March 9. 

“With four goals in his last four Premier League games, plus two assists, 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.  

The Euros are still some way away, though; most importantly, Havertz has won over the Arsenal fans.  “The fans at Arsenal are right behind the big German and his name could be heard ringing around the Emirates after his later winner against Brentford last week.” Scoring goals for fun for Arsenal will do that as the German finally seems to unearth his true potential. 

Homepage