Kai Havertz on cusp of creating Arsenal history as he closes in on matching Thierry Henry's all-time record
Today at 05:21 AM
Kai Havertz could match Thierry Henry and become just the fourth Arsenal player to reach an excellent feat on Tuesday night.
The Gunners return to the Emirates Stadium following their weekend defeat at Bournemouth to host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League – with the players surely hoping to put things right.
Havertz has flourished at the Emirates so far this season with six goals in as many consecutive games at their north London home.
His overall tally sits at seven, matching Robin van Persie in 2011, but he will go one step further and make club history if he finds the back of the net against Shakhtar.
A Havertz goal at the Emirates will see him become the fourth player to ever score in eight consecutive home games for Arsenal.
Jimmy Brain did so first in 1927, Doug Lishman was next in 1954 and the legendary Henry followed in 2000, with all coming at their former home of Highbury.
Havertz’s run stretches back to Arsenal’s final match of the 2023/24 season when they beat Everton 2-1 in the Premier League.
Goals have come at home in the league against Wolves, Brighton, Leicester and Southampton in the current campaign so far.
The 25-year-old also netted in their Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain and their Carabao Cup thrashing of Bolton.
Not only would Havertz equal Brain, Lishman and Henry with a goal against Shakhtar, but he would claim the Emirates Stadium record too, surpassing Van Persie.
Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday will offer him the chance to close down Henry’s record of the most successive goals scored at home in the league, which stands at seven.
Havertz is currently on five for the Gunners, but Tuesday night’s visit of Shakhtar will be on his mind instead of the weekend.
Mikel Arteta will be eyeing a huge response from his side after they fell to their first defeat in all competitions this season on Saturday.
They were beaten 2-0 away at Bournemouth and finished the match with ten men due to William Saliba’s first half red card.
Champions League action will present the opportunity for Arsenal to return to winning ways, with the club sitting 13th in the table.
They were held to a 0-0 draw away at Atlanta in their first match before the comfortable 2-0 win at home to PSG earlier in October.
Shakhtar are yet to win a game in this season’s competition, so Havertz could emerge as the Gunners’ hero by etching his name in club history with a goal.
