Kai Havertz once again the Arsenal scapegoat – but Mikel Arteta might be to blame

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Kai Havertz was perhaps the most relieved man at the Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Victory for Arsenal in the North London Derby has moved them back into contention as serious title contenders as they sit just four points behind Liverpool.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	20	14	5	1	48	20	28	47
2	ArsenalArsenal	21	12	7	2	41	19	22	43

The 2-1 score line did not reflect Arsenal’s dominance in the game and Kai Havertz was once again guilty of missing some clear-cut chances to add extra gloss to the result in the second half.

Havertz was criticised by fans against Manchester United in the FA Cup and was given a 1/10 in the Arsenal player ratings. However, Havertz is being scapegoated as Arsenal’s biggest problem and the German international contributes so much that is good about this Gunners side.

READ MORE: Kieran Tierney has Arsenal fans all saying the same thing after his Tottenham performance

Kai Havertz gave Tottenham Hotspur defenders a rough time

It may have been another night of frustration in terms of chances converted for Havertz but his overall game against Spurs was once again full of selfless hard work for the team.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was the star performer for Arsenal but Havertz set the tempo for a dominant Arsenal performance by constantly harassing the Tottenham defence and even managed to nearly steal the ball from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky on numerous occasions.

Havertz won six duels in total during the game and helped out defensively as well at set-pieces and when Spurs were pushing for an equaliser late on in the game.

The biggest disappointment for him again would have been the missed header from six yards out following a Martin Odegaard corner – finishing chances is an area the striker needs to improve upon.

Kai Havertz needs help from Arsenal’s wingers and midfield

Arsenal’s creativity and ability to score goals has been a problem throughout this season but particularly highlighted in recent weeks. Havertz plays as the number nine however, he was not brought to the club as a traditional striker.

Havertz’s style of play is much like Roberto Firmino of Liverpool, the problem for Arsenal is that they don’t currently have the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah on either side of their frontman.

The German international is always available for Arteta and this trait should not be overlooked given Arsenal’s recent injury woes. He has also scored almost as many as expected given the chances created for him.

Leandro Trossard has just five goals for Arsenal this season, Gabriel Martinelli has contributed six and captain Odegaard just one penalty against West Ham in the league.

It is time for Arteta to give Havertz those ‘Mane and Salah’ type of players, who can score goals and ease the burden that the German is clearly carrying. Whether Arteta can get more out of his current crop of forwards or has to dip into the market remains to be seen.