Mikel Arteta praised the “empathy” of his Arsenal players after a first goal for Kai Havertz that he hopes will “change everything” for the forward.
The £65m summer signing from Chelsea had not registered a goal or assist in his first nine games for the Gunners but finally hit the target as he converted a penalty in a 4-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
When the Gunners were two goals to the good, Ryan Christie clattered into Martin Odegaard in the box as Bournemouth gave away their second penalty of the game.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s regular penalty taker, had already given the ball to Odegaard to convert the first spot kick. The England forward had the ball in his hand and seemed poised to take the second penalty but then he handed it to Havertz.
Gunners fans held their breath as the much-maligned Germany forward put the ball down on the spot. Much to the joy of the away fans, he slotted into the bottom-left corner of Neto’s net and was mobbed by his Arsenal team-mates.
To the tune of Waka Waka by Shakira, Havertz has a chant which ends with “60 million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again”.
“It shows the people we have in that dressing room — what they did for Kai, it was a really moving moment,” Arteta said.
“He’s going through a period externally — not internally but externally — that he is getting questioned in certain areas.
“For the team to step up and show that empathy as well as that trust towards him, they won my heart even more today that group of players.
“The fact that they can make those decisions, that’s leadership and that’s accountability. That’s what we ask them to do and I’m so glad they made that decision.”
The external criticism mentioned by Arteta has been vociferous to say the least. Much has been expected of Havertz since his big-money move and so far, according to critics, he has failed to deliver.
His first goal for the club comes in his 10th appearance and it is the first time he has scored in 21 club appearances across all competitions (across spells with Arsenal and Chelsea), with his last goal before this coming in March for Chelsea against Everton.
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf said “maybe right now on the bench [is his best position] because he doesn’t disturb the others” and added “his positioning is going to affect the rest of the midfielders, they are unbalanced because of him and [Martin] Odegaard playing in almost the same line.”
Despite Leboeuf’s criticism, the 24-year-old has started in midfield alongside Odegaard in five of Arsenal’s seven league games. The victory against Bournemouth marks the first time both players have got on the scoresheet, with Odegaard one of the first players to congratulate Havertz after he opened his account for the North London side.
“Probably it will change everything,” Arteta replied when asked what the goal could do for Havertz.
“If he had any question marks about how we feel about him, about what he does, I think they are out.
“I think in sport — Usain Bolt said it once — ‘I have to train four years to run nine seconds’. Sometimes you have to do a lot and you don’t see that.
“In that moment you see it. I think after everything he’s been through in the last few weeks that moment is worth all of it, so [I am] really happy for him.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Andros Townsend said: “I still think Arteta has a plan for Havertz. You don’t spend that much money if you don’t fit them in the team.
“He struggled at times for Chelsea but, what Arteta has done with that squad, you have to trust him. He obviously believes he has something special that can take Arsenal to the next level.
Havertz is the third most expensive signing in Arsenal’s history, behind Declan Rice and Nicolas Pepe.
With a big price tag comes big expectations, hence the intense scrutiny of his performances since moving across London.
Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell was sympathetic to his plight, saying: “There’s talk about shoehorning Kai Havertz in and it not working. I don’t know what people expect because Arsenal are unbeaten and they’re back in the Champions League.
“For me, Havertz is lacking in confidence and I understand all the flack. But he actually adds efficiency that Arsenal lacked last season.
“A lot of people will not give him credit because he cost £65m and he should be scoring five to 10 goals a week. It doesn’t work like that.”
It is evident that Havertz’s team-mates and manager believe in him and now that he is off the mark for his new club, this could be the beginning of a fruitful and more settled period in the red and white of Arsenal.
