Kai Havertz has a role in the Arsenal team which has changed since his arrival from Chelsea last summer. Initially, he began in the Gunners’ midfield alongside Martin Odegaard, but he struggled with the transition and gradually improved.
However, it was not until he was moved into the centre-forward role that Havertz truly found his way. He scored eight goals and got seven assists in 18 matches as a central figure last season, a very good return.
Projections rightfully therefore see a 20-goal-plus campaign as a realistic target for Havertz were he to start all the games as a striker. That said, this pre-season saw Havertz start his first game as a central midfielder again where Gabriel Jesus played through the middle.
The result was certainly positive and despite the defeat to Liverpool, Havertz scored and was crucial both in the attacking third and with his hard work defensively too. He broke up play, spread passes into dangerous positions and as mentioned finished off the only goal of the game for the club.
With the transfer window now being in its final month, there is only ever-increasing expectation regarding what Arsenal will do in the market. In particular, there is a call for a centre-forward to be signed with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres having been mentioned.
What Havertz’s performance here does is make the potential to add a forward much more viable. Granted, one display is not going to be enough to convince the majority of critics that Havertz can have a future in the middle of the field – and I include myself in that.
