Was Havertz the missing link against West Ham?
Arsenal walked away bitterly defeated on Thursday night as we welcomed West Ham to The Emirates. Coming into the second last game of the year, every point was important and a win would have taken us back to the top of the table going into the last game of the season away a Fulham.
One thing led to another and Arsenal were some how outclassed after having 30 shots on goal, but couldn’t manage to find the back of the net, meanwhile West Ham had 6 shots and managed to bag two goals from them.
Kai Havertz was missing from action after receiving a 5th yellow card of the season against Liverpool and was suspended from Thursday nights game, and for me, he was a huge loss for Mikel Arteta’s system. Havertz had a somewhat hard start to life at Arsenal and took a while to settle in, but then after he was handed the ball to take a penalty against Bournemouth, he has seemed to really settle in.
Making an impact when starting and when coming off the bench, I think his energy would have gone a long way on Thursday night. Havertz has recently come on and been the difference in games where Arsenal looked to be really struggling and we could have really used a player like him. We looked to be getting out fought by height in the box and with someone of his height a goal poaching ability, he could have been a real asset in front of goal.
If you told me a year ago, that I would be sitting here and saying that we missed Kai Havertz and we would have been a better team with him, I wouldn’t believe you, but he’s become an important part of this squad and although his transfer was questioned by a lot of people, he seems to have been able to prove the doubters wrong.
For me Havertz is better in the midfield, helping to build up play, link up the midfielders with the attacks and works very hard to recover the ball when needed, but I’ve also noticed that when he is scoring, he’s scoring from centre forward positions. He always seems to be in the right spot at the right time, to just tap the ball in, and with our attacking line being a bit all over the place right now, he’s been a huge boost when going forward.
Do I think if we had him in the squad, we might not have lost? Maybe, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. But I do think it will shine a light on what he has been doing at the club and the impact he is able to make. Even when he can’t find the net himself, he seems to be able to find a way to create them.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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The only thing wrong with the Havertz transfer was the ridiculous salary he is, reportedly, getting.
Apart from that, this “chelsea reject” has slotted in very nicely and he was most definitely missed against WHU.
Perhaps some of our fans will stop looking for a scapegoat in the future, although it seems Zinchenko is being lined up, along with Jesus, for that particular honour.
Seems like both mancity reject will soon become Arsenal reject as both are making mess of their position, Jesus refusing to score goals despite easy chances n zinko refusing to defend the ball n taking it lightly in defense. This Arsenal team reminding of Wenger days when Arsenal used to play well and lose and it used to happen too often. Now it’s being too often for Arteta arsenal also. 3 defeats already despite playing well is the call for change otherwise it will go on n on.
What exactly do you expect fans to do with underperforming players, if you allege they’re made scapegoats?
Havertz is not a great player; Zinchenko is a horrible performer as a defender, Jesus is not a top goal scorer. What do you expect people to say?
Ken
For me it’s not so much missing Havertz but more so missing a striker that can score goals.
Jesus has what 2 or 3 goals at the midway point? Quite embarrassing for someone in the striker position. He may do other things to help the team, but he isn’t among the top in assisting and running and pressing all over the pitch doesn’t substitute for goals.
I’m glad to see Havertz improving, his success is also Arsenal’s success. Unfortunately it’s smoke and mirrors and doesn’t address our lack of a striker or scoring goals.
No surprise you are receiving sticks for talking common sense Ken. Tantrum kids all over the place, you see.
We missed him against Fulham too 🙂
The big German was a massive miss if you ask me, his physicality, that big target while turning up late in the box we surely miss.
What PHYSICALITY?? You are seeing something that does not exist.
I agree he is playing better now, but to call him a physical player shows how little you really know about what being A TRUE PHYSICAL PLAYER ACTUALLY MEANS.
True phycality comes from strength means far more than simply height It needs a warrior mindset and strong muscles, which he does NOT possess, being so skinny!
Such as PATRICK VIERA, KEOWN, PARLOUR AND THE WHOLE GEORGE GRAHAM DEFENCE , inherited by AW, are TRULY PHYSICAL.
Not pussy cat HAVERTZ!
Yes the big German does offer an aerial threat in the box Arsenal lack against West Ham.
And although he’s not the traditional target man, he has the strength to win duels and brings others into play..
In a nut shell the German International has a 52% success rate , now that is greater than both Aleksandra Mitrovic , Tomas Soucek. and Ivan Toney and all three are physical players.
@jon fox
Thank you 👍🏾
No. You got all wrong.
I agree with others. We might have missed him for many reasons but physicality is none of them.
How can arsenal possibly miss a player who’s only performed marginally well in the last 3 games. The team did well without him, for 15 matches since the beginning of the season.
The problems plaguing arsenal predate his forced inclusion in the team. Arsenal needs a striker.
“did well without him”
Arsenal haven’t been without Havertz at all in this season’s PL, as he’s featured in all 18 games, starting 12 of them, So I’d say that although he’s not been perfect they’ve done well enough with him.
…and he performed at a level you feel arsenal missed him? For what, when his presence in the other 15 games was actually an advantage for the opposition.
He’s been a burden on the other players, and all of a sudden he is missed when we lose.
Compared to his replacement he was seriously missed.
Trossard was completely lost in the Havertz role, although it was a good idea to try it out, and tomorrow will see his return, unless Smith Rowe gets his chance from the start.
Odegaard and Saka could’ve made long diagonal crosses to Havertz’s head, after their short through balls couldn’t penetrate West Ham’s overcrowded area
Yes because we had 77 touches in the box, and we offer very little against their set plays.
Unfortunately, those touches and cute short passes couldn’t get past the Hammers’ human fence
It was mostly our forwards attempting to dribble through, as it was too crowded for accurate passing.
Truth be said Havertz aerial abilities, tackles and forward runs into the box was missed. He would have been the only midfielder to compete aerially with Western physical backline. Trossard was lacking that ability in front he is too dimunitive. It took Rice and l height and Havertz runs in the box for Arsenal to beat Luton away.
I bet Arteta would play him against Fulham tomorrow
Sylva , that’s exactly my point
That’s not how Arsenal played last season, and the front three were tormenting defences with quick, short telepathic passes. How many goals goals have we scored with the wingers crossing long passes for Havertz?
Let’s not suffer selective amnesia in an attempt to built a house out sand. Havertz is never going to be a solution to arsenal’s lack of goals. He’s in fact a contributing factor. Arsenal needs a striker.
@Molapo other coaches in EPL are not dumb.. Unlike last season teams now double up on Saka and Matinelli. That’s why the gaffar bought Timber and also Havertz to explore other possibilities of scoring goals apart from our wingers. Against Westharm it was difficult because they “packed the bus” and we lacked aerial abilities to challenge at the back. From midfield to Frontline out of six players only Rice is tall .
Did we miss Havertz? Yes we did but we also missed the necessary performances of the players who did play.
Please, please we didn’t miss him at all. He isn’t that good that we miss him. It was the performance, the way we played and tactics. Haverz would not have made any difference. He has had a couple of good games, he isn’t irreplaceable, by a long chalk.
As much as anything this game showed where Rice’s heart still lies.
Never mind Havertz, a lacklustre Declan is a bigger concern
No problems with Rice, he’s been great.
Here I fixed it for you.
“Lackluster Rice without Partey to help is a bigger concern.”
The biggest concern is NO goals, down on points, goals scored, and position in the table at midstream.
Mikel needs to let them play. Everyone is so slow and tight.
All for everyone to see!
Can someone tell me what Havertz does in our midfield that makes arsenal unique or more lethal?I can only take him as alternative C.F because of his aerial ability and nothing else.
You can’t take a Chelsea centre forward and convert him into an arsenal midfielder. Infact in that role he makes Xhaka look like Messi.I dare say Havertz will replace Xhaka only in Artetas imagination.
Ask your self why Martinelli, Saka,Jesus,Zinchenko and Ben White have all dipped in form.
I agree 100%
Arteta’s obsession with a goal-scoring LCM is our biggest undoing this season. Havertz’s strength does not improve our midfield, he is at best a CF
Goal keeper Turner is a disaster for Forest against Man United
Threatening to spoil a perfect weekend in Dan’s game Predictor
Wow, what a perfect prediction Forest 2 – 1 Man United, surely, I should be leading that field now.
Not at all
Hahaha we got hammered by west Ham united in a league cup with him playing, so I don’t think we missed him
The team needs to function, not because of 1 player or even the starting 11 but the whole squad!
No plan B, zero flexibility….same problem since day 1!