Arsenal produced a statement victory on Tuesday night when they dispatched Chelsea 5-0 at the Emirates.
Everything that went wrong for Mauricio Pochettino’s side did so on the night, whilst Arsenal couldn’t have asked for a better evening in front of their supporters.
Football can be a funny old game and it’s amazing how certain situations can come back to bite you in the back.
Mikel Arteta has made some big calls during his time as manager and he has made signings that have divided opinion.
Even his own supporters have questioned some of the calls he makes, but for the most part, he ends up proving them wrong.
You could argue that Kai Havertz’s transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal in the summer was the most decisive of them all.
At the time, many supporters within the Emirates questioned the decision to sign the player, whilst Chelsea, who had just finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table, were happy to see the back him.
But it’s amazing how certain situations can turn on its head in next to no time because Havertz was netting a brace against Chelsea, with the home fans chanting ‘£60 million down the drain’ in an ironic fashion.
Glenn Hoddle thinks that Havertz is now playing at his absolute best and it proves what confidence does to a player, as he told Premier League Productions (23/04/24 at 10:25 pm).
The legendary playmaker added that the German international is an ‘elegant’ player for a number nine and it’s not just about making runs into the penalty box.
Kai Havertz haunts Chelsea with two goals
“He still had a lot to do, it’s a great ball from Odegaard, it’s just the way he took it away from Cucurella and keeps a cool head again,” said Hoddle.
“That’s the difference. When a player is confident. He is going in there and he is thinking about scoring. He believes he is going to score – without a doubt (Havertz would have enjoyed scoring against Chelsea). But he has moved on from that scenario and it’s proved to him, personally, it has been a great move for him.
“He is confident, and as we said before, there has always been a player inside there. It’s just about getting it out and I think he has found his position now – sometimes, your number nine, if he arrives in the box, he is a number nine. He was coming off and linking the play really, really well, Havertz. You need that focal point. Everyone thinks you need a big number nine to do that. Well, he is a tall lad, but he is a bit more elegant than that. He held the ball up. It’s back to confidence.”
Kai Havertz is proving people wrong
First off, kudos to the manager for not caring about the noise and signing a player like Havertz when many were against it.
It has taken its time, but he is slowly proving his worth and shutting a lot of people up.
The 24-year-old now has 11 Premier League goals to his name, added to five assists, not forgetting that he has played a number of matches as a number eight.
For a player many were expecting to flop, to have 17 goal involvements is very healthy and a sign that he can continue to go to the next level in the coming seasons.