Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 1-0 Premier League victory over north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Gunners went into the game without seven key players including midfield duo Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
This forced manager Mikel Arteta into a tactical switch. Jorginho came into the line-up to partner Thomas Partey in midfield.
Kai Havertz played from the number 10 position with Leandro Trossard leading the attack as the false 9.
Havertz did not make any goal contribution in the derby, but he was brilliant with his clearances and duel-winning ability.
The German won an impressive 12 aerial and ground duels with five headed clearances – four of those from set-pieces.
The 25-year-old had the most touches for any Arsenal player (51) and worked hard for the team with and without possession.
With Odegaard’s unfortunate ankle injury, Havertz had to adapt to a different role and he did his job with relative success.
With the 1-0 win, Arsenal have moved to second in the Premier League table with 10 points, two behind leaders Manchester City.
The Gunners face the Cityzens at the Etihad Stadium in their next league outing on Sunday, September 22.
Prior to that, Arsenal will start their Champions League campaign with an away trip to Atalanta on Thursday evening.
The Gunners have a testing schedule with less than 72 hours to prepare for the City game. We could see some changes in midweek.
Havertz is one of those who has been ever-present under Arteta and he could continue in his new role against the Serie A outfit.
