There are several examples of the Spanish coach’s influence on the talent at his disposal, but for the purposes of this piece, we may focus on Kai Havertz’s development under Arteta.
Havertz contributed seven assists across three seasons at Chelsea. Incredibly, so far, the German international has had six assists in his first season with Arsenal.
Forget about the goals; these statistics demonstrate Arteta’s ability to identify and nurture potential at Arsenal, where he has created an environment in which players can thrive in recent seasons.
Chelsea paid Bayer Leverkusen £75 million for Havertz’s 2020 signing, expecting he could end up being their poster boy and the ultimate Eden Hazard replacement. However, the Bundesliga prodigy never really clicked at Stamford Bridge.
And so, last summer, many were expecting Arsenal to pay roughly £65 million for his transfer. However, the player’s resurgence in a few months at the Emirates Stadium has justified the swoop.
It is clear that Arteta’s tactical tactics have resulted in the 24-year-old’s best performance. Keen to see the ex-Bayer Leverkusen player flourish, Arteta wisely switched Havertz from featuring in midfield (where he wanted him to play) as he wasn’t as impactful as he hoped he’d be and instead chose to put him in attack. Interestingly, when he joined, some Gooners were originally sceptical of him leading the line given his Chelsea struggles, but what a hit he has been.
With 12 goals and 6 assists in 34 league appearances, Havertz has eclipsed Arsenal’s default strikers, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, and he is threatening to derail Arsenal’s plans to sign a top striker this summer.
Darren N
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
And he is fit and tough. Always available like Xhaka. That makes it easier for any manager to invest time and effort upon. Fitness and availability to me is the hallmark for every player in the starting XI. That’s why, Kai can surprise many naysayers in the coming seasons. He has already started doing so this season. The game against spurs, as Mikel stated Kai was sick but played the way he did. He is tough for his languid looks and movement. And that sets him apart from all the alternatives we have, like ESR for example.