Scott Minto has urged Kai Havertz to ‘step up’ and show consistency for Arsenal after his tough time at Brentford. The German struggled to shine in their Carabao Cup win.
The 24-year-old got the nod from manager Mikel Arteta to start as Arsenal visited the Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday. But Havertz again struggled to live up to his price tag in west London. It has been hard going for the midfielder since his arrival from Chelsea in June.
Arsenal fluttered £62.5m, rising to £67.5m, to sign Havertz and Arteta has so far shown he is backing the playmaker. The 39-cap Mannschaft maestro has started seven of the Gunners’ nine games so far this season. He also played as a substitute in the others for 634 minutes.
Minto wants more from Havertz after Arsenal’s win at Brentford
Yet despite retaining a prominent place at Emirates Stadium, Havertz is still yet to score and has zero assists. He also wasted some promising chances to break his duck at Brentford. So, Minto has urged Havertz to show consistency with Arsenal having also lacked it for Chelsea.
“They’re just so good, Arsenal, on the ball,” Minto told talkSPORT. “Kai Havertz, I don’t want to be on top of him all the time, but he’s got to step up a bit more. You know there’s a player there. He wasn’t consistent for Chelsea and he’s not really showing it at Arsenal.”
Havertz could have gained so much confidence had he scored
Starting at Brentford in the Carabao Cup was a great chance for Havertz to show why Arteta targeted his transfer to Arsenal. The Spaniard rotated his squad heavily in west London. But Havertz had the experience and skills required to carry the game. Yet he struggled to do so.
The occasional sign of promise soon turned to frustration at the Gtech Community Stadium. Havertz either second-guessed what he wanted to try or failed to execute it as he intended in the final third. And it is in the final third where Havertz needed to ‘step up’ as Minto says.
A first goal for Arsenal could have changed the early outlook of Havertz’s career at Emirates Stadium. But he lacked conviction with his best chances to score at Brentford. Even when he worked space in the box on his favoured left foot, Havertz cut inside and wasted the chance.
Havertz could have put Arsenal in complete control of the Carabao Cup clash had he made it 2-0 at Brentford. Now, Arteta is unlikely to be considering recalling the German to his line-up at Bournemouth on Saturday. He was a substitute in their last two Premier League matches.
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