Arteta: Havertz can go to another level

10/06/2024 03:05 AM

Mikel Arteta is delighted with Kai Havertz's scintillating recent form, praising the Germany international’s growing impact on the team and backing him to become a 20-goal striker.

The 25-year-old was key to Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Southampton, taking the game by the scruff of the neck to lash home an equaliser off the post just as the visitors grabbed a foothold through Cameron Archer’s opener.

Havertz then, for want of a better term, ‘put himself about it’ winning duels all over the pitch as Arsenal blitzed the Saints into submission through goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

In his post-game press conference, Arteta reflected: “You can tell [his confidence has grown], he takes the ball and he runs with the ball. He's on high press, he goes full gas, the way he holds the ball, the position he takes in the box.

“He's an attacking midfielder, he plays as a nine, you don't know where he is, that's his football brain. His focus now is 'I'm going to win the game, I'm going to do it' and that's a different thing.”

Arteta’s confidence in Havertz is clear, as he highlighted that the former Chelsea player has the ability to score 20 goals a season.

“When he's practising, he wants more and he's not satisfied with what he's doing because there is still, I think, another level from him,” said the Spaniard.

“Obviously, he's surrounded by incredible players but something has changed in him and that confidence, you really sense it and now he's putting it into games and he's winning football matches which is great.”

Even before the match, Arteta had told Arsenal.com: "He certainly has all the qualities and he certainly has the ambition to [score 20 goals a season].

“In the end, scoring goals sometimes are very small details and a lot of things have to go for you, but he's got it and his mindset has changed a lot in regards to that. He certainly has ability to do it in my opinion."

So far this season Havertz has six goals and one assist in 10 appearances. He’s also drawn level with Robin van Persie for the number of goals (7) scored in consecutive matches at Emirates Stadium. He’ll have the opportunity to break that record after the international break when the Gunners host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

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