Arsenal summer signing Kai Havertz has come in for heavy criticism for his disappointing performances, and has really struggled to make an impact in midfield.
Havertz arrived to much scepticism in the summer, having spent three mostly underwhelming years at Chelsea, and a heavy transfer fee has not helped him as there is limited patience over his ability to deliver.
Granit Xhaka departed after an excellent campaign last season, and Havertz arrived as an option to help fill the void left by him. However, he has failed to do so in several ways.
It is still unclear what his best position is, as he has underwhelmed on the ball in midfield and in front of goal when played as a striker, and a damning stat has now emerged which shows the stark contrast between Xhaka and Havertz.
Kai Havertz has failed to replicate Granit Xhaka’s passing
X account MarkStats has now revealed Arsenal’s progressive passing percentiles as a squad when compared to other Premier League players.
Arsenal’s attack flowed well last season, but this fluidity has been absent in this campaign as Arsenal have massively struggled to create and finish good quality chances.
Xhaka was key to Arsenal’s attack last season, as he ranked in the top 22% of Premier League players for his ball progression efficiency, which basically means that he moved the ball forward well, whilst rarely losing possession.
Thomas Partey ranked in the top 8% last season, with Declan Rice now in the top 4%, but the biggest difference has been Havertz replacing Xhaka, with the German ranking in the bottom 34% of Premier League players for this stat.
Havertz is not offering enough on the ball
Both Gabriel Martinelli and Oleksandr Zinchenko have seen their form suffer this season, and it is clear that the absence of Xhaka roaming on the left-hand side has harmed them both.
Havertz is not offering anywhere near as much as Xhaka did in terms of both carrying and passing the ball, and his failure to impose himself on the ball to make space and create chances for his teammates has led to a decline in the attacking unit as a whole.
Whilst it may be harsh to single out Havertz for the poor form of several attackers, it is clear that he cannot perform Xhaka’s role in facilitating the others within the attack, and with Jorginho impressing against Liverpool, perhaps Mikel Arteta has now seen that a different profile is needed in the middle of
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