Arteta’s Assessment of Havertz’s First Game as Arsenal Player: “Time Will Tell”

Arteta’s Assessment of Havertz’s First Game as Arsenal Player: “Time Will Tell”

Elijah Odetokun
updated at July 14, 2023 at 1:10 PM
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  • Kai Havertz played his first game in Arsenal colours against Nuremberg yesterday
  • The German joined the Gunners from Chelsea for £65m after three seasons at Stamford Bridge
  • The game ended 1-1 after Havertz's former mate Jorginho scored a ridiculous own goal

Kai Havertz's first game as an Arsenal player reflected a bit of why Chelsea fans are joyous for his departure, but head coach Mikel Arteta is ready to work closely with the forward.

Havertz spent three seasons at Chelsea and did not make quite the impact the fans would have expected after Roman Abramovich sanctioned a then club-record £72m for him.

He scored the winning goal in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, assisted Hakim Ziyech in the UEFA Super Cup and scored the winning goal from the spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Kai Havertz, Arsenal, Nuremberg, Germany.
Kai Havertz reacts after his first game for Arsenal in the 1-1 draw against Nuremberg. Photo by Alex Grimm.
Source: Getty Images

One of his major pitfalls at Stamford Bridge was not nailing down any position, having played as a number 10, 8, 9 and on both wings without consistently impacting any.

Arteta assesses Havertz's first game

The German was expected to play as a left-sided number 8 in Mikel Arteta's 4-3-3 system, and this was the position where he was deployed when he came on in the second half of the 1-1 draw against Nuremberg in the first pre-season game.

He appeared too casual in possession, and though he had a brilliant arrival in the box at a point, he casually hit the ball towards the keeper from a position he should have scored.

This was a major concern for fans, but Arteta remains unfazed and looks forward to working with him more to find a solution.

“We have to see how he adapts, where we see him and to get to know each other, to build relationships - football is about that. Time will tell where he suits best,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star, while speaking to the club's official website after the game, also admitted he is in his adaptation phase, and it will take time.

Jorginho scored bizarre own goal

Sports Brief reported that Jorginho scored a bizarre own goal after a mix-up with goalkeeper Karl Hein to cancel out Bukayo Saka's brilliant opener in the first half.

The former Chelsea midfielder received a pass from the goalkeeper and returned it immediately for the goalie, who is yet to reach his post. It was a delight for his former fans, while it is disgust to the Gunners.

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Elijah Odetokun photo
Elijah Odetokun
Elijah Odetokun is Reuters-trained journalist with three years of experience having previously worked at Daily Times Nigeria, OmaSports and El Futbolero.
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