#48 - Kai becoming Arsenal's King 👑

After a stunning 2024 and a series of positions played, I take a closer look at Kai Havertz and what is making him so important

Kai Havertz is fast becoming a fan favourite after his signing just over a year ago divided the fanbase.

Havertz was always a signing I personally was happy with.

I watch quite a lot of Bayer Leverkusen and was gutted when Havertz first moved to Chelsea as he was one of my favourite young players in the world.

His £60million move to Arsenal was widely regarded as one of the worst deals of last summer, now it appears one of the best, as he is one of the first names on Arsenal’s team sheet.

He looked a little lost and uninspired at Chelsea, but now I’m seeing the player I expected him to develop into back when he was shining in Germany.

So what makes him so important?

Adaptability

When he arrived, many asked 'what is he'? He didn’t appear a good enough striker, he looked a little uncomfortable in midfield, and many criticised the club for spending such an amount on a player who had no clear position.

But that lack of distinct position may have become his superpower.

Last year Havertz played as a left-back for Germany, he established himself as a striker for Arsenal in 2024 and has had to tweak his role slightly in Martin Odegaard’s absence. His tactical flexibility is incredibly valuable to have in this squad.

In this recent period of tough games, without Arsenal’s orchestrator, Odegaard, Arsenal adapted to a more off-the-ball 4-4-2 shape. Arteta recently admitted the need to shift approach in his captain’s absence:

“We had to be different. The impact that Martin has in everything we do, it was too big to try to replicate it with one player. We tried to do it in a different way, adapting a few things, and using players’ qualities, players that can play in the right position, with the right chemistry around them. Maybe it took a game or two, but then it started to flow a bit better but we have found a way.”

Havertz famously completed 0 or 1 pass in the Manchester City game (depending on who you believe) - but was still effective.

His 25 touches were a great release valve from the City pressure, and he’s growing in stature in that regard. He won 8 duels and looks ready to fight for everything for this Arsenal team.

Arsenal had to suffer at times against a possession heavy PSG side, but Kai was Arsenal’s man of the match.

A crucial headed goal which highlighted his bravery was backed up by a massive 11 duels won, he also made 4 tackles, epitomising Arteta ‘defend from the front’ philosophy.

Many worried that games like Leicester and Southampton may see Arsenal and Havertz struggle to be as influential, when they needed to be on the ball and create more.

But the team managed to score 7 goals in these games, with Havertz on the scoresheet in both games. Against Southampton, Havertz filled in that space on the right side of attacking midfield as he and Trossard again formed a bit of a double false 9 shape.

His 20 attacking third passes (pictured above) were key, with 16 of them coming on the right side, helping to connect the lethal Bukayo Saka (he passed to him 11 times).

The difference maker

When Arsenal fell behind to Southampton, some worried, and others recognised this team now have the tools to change gears quickly.

Kai is critical to that, and a year on from his pity penalty against Bournemouth, he was the one to decisively finish and drag the team back into the game.

Often belittled as a ‘soft factor’, I am for one a huge advocate of passion. You can see how much Havertz wants to win and how much he loves his new home. I truly think this has made a big difference to how he is now performing for Arsenal. You don’t win so many duels and turn games around without it.

The best is yet to come

He seems to have been around forever, but when you consider he only turned 25 in the summer, it’s exciting to think how far he could go.

Considering he does not rely on pace, I think he will peak late into his 20’s and is continuing to learn and grow under Mikel.

As Arsenal now look to integrate new signing Mikel Merino, welcome back Martin Odegaard from injury and work youngster Ethan Nwaneri into the midfield mix, you can expect Havertz to again show his versatility by continuing to shine and bring the best out of his teammates.