Arsenal are set to face West Ham in the Carabao Cup tonight, and Mikel Arteta may make changes as the fixtures start to pile up for The Gunners.
Arsenal navigated a tricky away tie in the Champions League by beating Sevilla last week, before an Eddie Nketiah hattrick saw Arteta’s side beat Sheffield United 5-0.
The 24-year-old has now asserted himself as Arsenal’s go-to striker in the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who is currently injured, but there is now the perfect opportunity for him to rest tonight in favour of another option.
Arteta should start Havertz over Nketiah
Kai Havertz has struggled since his big-money arrival from Chelsea in the summer, but has shown glimpses of his quality off the bench in a centre-forward role.
When starting in midfield, Havertz has struggled to make an impact, and has been heavily criticised at the start of his Arsenal career.
Nketiah looks set to start against Newcastle on Saturday following his hattrick, and Havertz should perhaps start ahead of him tonight to see what he can do from the off in a striking role.
Havertz has scored just once this season, which came through a penalty away at Bournemouth, and playing him upfront in what promises to be a physical encounter could help him begin to thrive.
What Havertz can offer upfront
Whilst the German may not have the speed or finishing ability of Nketiah, he can bring a different physical profile to the striker role, and help the creative players behind him thrive.
Arsenal will be coming up against a tall side in West Ham, with the likes of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek threatening to cause difficulties in the air, and adding Havertz’s height to the team would help counter this.
Although he has struggled so far, Declan Rice has described Havertz as “special,” and if he can start and score tonight, he can try and build up a run of form to help Arsenal cope with the absence of Jesus.
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