Germany’s World Cup is over. So, in cruel fashion, is Kai Havertz’s tournament.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side were stunned after losing 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay in the Round of 32, after being held to a 1-1 draw.
During extra time, Jonathan Tah saw what looked like a winning header ruled out by VAR for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Germany pushed for a winner but couldn’t find one, and were eliminated on penalties by a side ranked 22 places below them.
Kai Havertz had been one of Germany’s better performers in the tournament, though not all were convinced.
He equalised after the break following Julio Enciso’s first-half opener for Paraguay, taking his tally to three goals at the World Cup.
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However, he then missed in the shootout with a stuttering run-up that will have given Arsenal fans uncomfortable flashbacks to Eberechi Eze’s penalty miss in the Champions League final.
Jurgen Klopp aims dig at Arsenal after Germany crash out
Speaking to MagentaTV after the game, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp took aim at the officiating decision, using Arsenal to make his point.
“If the goal is illegal, then Arsenal won’t be English champions. They’ve scored 60% of their goals that way. We win the game when the ball goes in. So, of course, this is brutal.”
Klopp is of course referring to Arsenal’s record from set pieces last season.
The Gunners scored 25 league goals from dead-ball situations excluding penalties, the highest total in the division, and set a new Premier League record for goals scored from corners in a single season with 19.
Still, that is around 27% of their goals scored, not the 60% Klopp exaggeratedly claims.
The physical nature of Arsenal’s corner routines drew criticism throughout last season, with goalkeepers regularly targeted as Mikel Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover looked to maximise every advantage they could find.
Klopp believes that had the sort of marginal contact that cost Germany their winner against Paraguay been penalised in the Premier League last season, Arsenal wouldn’t have won the league.
The discourse around the Gunners’ set-piece dominance won’t go away.
It’s still being talked about, even outside of England and even on a night that had nothing to do with them at all.
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