Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been impressed by the recent form of Kai Havertz.
Arsenal parted with £65 million to secure the services of Kai Havertz from Chelsea in the recent summer transfer window.
It hasn’t been an easy transition into life at the Emirates Stadium for the German ace. Havertz has come in for plenty of criticism so far in his Arsenal career, and has regularly looked desperately short of confidence when on the pitch.
However, in recent weeks, the 24-year-old looks to have finally gained something of a foothold. Many Arsenal fans liked what they saw from Havertz in a recent clash with Newcastle United.
On Wednesday evening, the former Chelsea man started against Sevilla in a Champions League group stage tie. Things got off to a poor start, as Havertz failed to hit the target with a free header from point-blank range inside the first minute of the match.
However, he stuck to his task and grew into the game. Early in the second half, he came within inches of scoring an excellent goal, as his fierce strike from outside the area curled just wide of the post.
Kai Havertz making progress at Arsenal
In general, Havertz put in a very solid showing against the Spanish side. As per WhoScored statistics, the 40-cap Germany international completed 91.2% of his passes, made three tackles, and took three shots.
Mikel Arteta has certainly seen a recent improvement in Havertz’s form. Speaking after the win over Sevilla, the Spanish coach said, “for me, against West Ham in the first half he was the best player, Newcastle one of the best, and today, again he was really strong, I’m really happy with him,” as quoted by the club’s official website.
There are still areas in which Havertz needs to improve and become more productive. One goal and one assist from his 18 appearances so far this season is not a good enough return. However, at the very least, he does seem to now be heading in the right direction.
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