According to former Gunner Kieran Gibbs’ claims, some Gooners are just underappreciating Kai Havertz.
Since his debut for Arsenal in the Premier League, the German international has been chastised. He has been unable to reproduce what Granit Xhaka used to provide in Arsenal’s midfield as an 8. He was said to be unsuitable for the demands of playing as a left-sided midfielder.
On Saturday, he started as a right-sided midfielder against Newcastle. Though one could argue that Arsenal weren’t all that poor in that game, he wasn’t noteworthy in that role, which led to us penning a piece like, “Have Raya, Havertz, and Arteta Doomed Arsenal’s Title Chances This Season.”
Anyway, Kieran Gibbs argues that Havertz, although heavily criticized, still contributes significantly to Arsenal’s game plan. He praised his positional play and how he covers so much distance on the pitch on ESPN, and he also praised the 24-year-old’s strong left foot, which can strike a ball.
Gibbs said of Havertz, “He covers a lot more ground than we think… He’s not the quickest off the mark, so it probably looks like he ambles around the pitch a bit, but actually, I think his positional play is good. He has a good understanding of the game, so he knows where he needs to be on the pitch. He’s got a good left foot and can strike a ball. When he’s on form, he can strike a ball well. We just haven’t seen it enough.”
What are your thoughts on Gibbs’ remarks about Havertz? Should we be more patient and give Havertz time to fit into Arteta’s game plan slowly but surely?
Darren N
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