Arsenal star warned he ‘can do better’ despite Arteta being ‘satisfied’ with him

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Arsecast host Andrew Mangan has now given his view on how Arsenal star Kai Havertz can still take his game to another level.

Kai Havertz seems to have settled in to life at Arsenal in recent weeks.

The former Chelsea man was bereft of confidence upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in the recent summer transfer window. He was all too often a passenger in matches, playing without any conviction in an Arsenal side that he looked to be an awkward tactical fit for.

Havertz was heavily criticised in the press in the early stages of his Arsenal career, as his £65 million price tag seemed to weigh heavily upon him.

However, he has slowly gotten to grips with what Arteta wants from him, and is now an important part of the team. Whilst there are flaws in his game, the German’s attributes and strengths are now regularly being put to good use at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal fans have begun to recognise the progress that Havertz has made too.

Asked to lead the line in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus against Newcastle United last time out, Havertz turned in another impressive performance. From the first whistle, he was energetic and aggressive in his pressing, he competed fiercely in aerial duels, and used his physicality well to hold up the ball. 

He was rewarded for a clever run in the first half as he was able to connect with Gabriel Martinelli’s cut-back to sweep home his seventh Arsenal goal.

How can Kai Havertz take another step up at Arsenal?

In one instance after the break, though, Havertz’s rough edges were once again exposed. Having been played through on goal by Martinelli, the 42-cap Germany international only had Loris Karius to beat, and really ought to have done so. However, he instead contrived to clip his effort wide of the post.

Andrew Mangan, speaking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, has now shared his verdict on the progress Havertz has made this season. He said, “I do think some of Mikel Arteta’s early season positivity about Kai Havertz was about boosting his confidence, right? You know, it took him a while to settle. I think it’s really fair to say that there were some issues with confidence and, you know, maybe the price tag…But I also think, that in general, what Kai Havertz has done on the pitch this season is stuff that Mikel Arteta wants him to do…I think Arteta will be pretty satisfied with what he’s got from Havertz.”

Whilst his overall review of the player is a positive one, Mangan recognises that there is still room for improvement in Havertz, particularly when it comes to applying the finishing touch.

Recalling the chance Havertz missed to double his tally against the Magpies, he said, “it’s everything but the finish, in that situation…We still have some way to go, but you know, on the plus side he was in that position, he made the run…I think he can do better. I think it’s well within his capability to do better. That would have been a big contribution.”