'Doing a splendid job': Alan Shearer says £65m Arsenal man is really proving him wrong this season
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Arsenal secured a 1-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk in their third UEFA Champions League game of the season and will now look ahead to their game against Liverpool.
The Gunners are already four points behind Sunday’s opponents and need to get all three points to prevent their Premier League title challenge from fizzling out so early in the season.
Things haven’t gone as planned for Mikel Arteta in recent weeks, with their rotten injury luck coupled with their lack of discipline on the pitch costing them dearly.
However, Alan Shearer has pinpointed Kai Havertz as one of their bright sparks this season as he continues to silence his doubters.
Alan Shearer changes stance on Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz
The German international endured a tough start to life at Arsenal after signing for £65m from Chelsea last summer but turned things around as he finished the season with 13 Premier League goals to his name.
His rich vein of form has continued this season and his tally of six goals and an assist from 12 appearances across all competitions makes for impressive reading.
Shearer feels Havertz’s all-round ability has come on leaps and bounds since he first signed for the club.
"I have been really impressed with him this season, not only because of his goal involvement, because of the way he has led the line,” said Shearer on Amazon Prime Video.
“I think everything about his general centre-forward play this season has been impressive."
Shearer went on to admit that he’s been left with an egg on his face after he called for Arsenal to sign another striker in the summer to potentially replace Havertz in the starting lineup for Arsenal.
He continued: “I was one of the ones in the summer that were actually saying that perhaps for Arsenal to go to the next level, to go and win the Premier League or to win this competition, the Champions League, they might just need another centre-forward in their ranks.
“At the minute, he is actually proving me wrong because he is filling that role and doing a splendid job."
Arsenal still need another striker
While Havertz is doing a creditable job up front, Arsenal looking to compete on all fronts and need another striker to carry the goalscoring burden.
Gabriel Jesus hasn’t been anywhere close to his best and has scored just six Premier League goals since the start of last season, which is a dismal record for a striker playing for one of the biggest clubs in England.
Benjamin Sesko remains on Arsenal’s radar despite the Slovenian striker rejecting a transfer in the summer, while Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres also has keen admirers at the Emirates Stadium.
With the January transfer window just over two months away, time will tell if Arsenal take action midway through the season to sign a striker.
