Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has now taken aim at Mikel Arteta for his use of one Arsenal player this season.
Mikel Arteta has taken an experimental approach with a number of his Arsenal stars this season.
Declan Rice has thrived after being pushed forward into a more advanced position. Ben White quickly adapted to an inverted tactical role when given fresh instructions. Jakub Kiwior has even emerged as a surprise contender to be the Gunners’ starting left-back.
However, Arteta’s use of Kai Havertz has now been called into question.
The German has been in fine form in recent weeks. Havertz has shone as a false-nine. He has been amongst the goals, has put his physicality to good use at the top of the pitch, and has caught the eye with the intensity of his pressing. Havertz has even impressed Arsenal fans by maintaining his sparkling form on the international stage.
However, it has been an up-and-down process getting the 25-year-old to this point in his short Arsenal career so far.
Where should Kai Havertz play for Arsenal?
When Havertz arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the most recent summer transfer window, Arteta’s plan was clearly for him to take up the left-eight midfield berth recently vacated by Granit Xhaka. At that time, though, the former Chelsea man was clearly woefully short on confidence, and he struggled to get to grips with the task being set for him by the Spanish coach. Havertz came in for plenty of criticism in the early phase of his Arsenal career.
However, Nicol feels that the blame for the former Chelsea man’s erstwhile struggles should in fact be pinned on Arteta. Speaking on ESPN FC, the former Scotland international said, “Kai Havertz is a good player, but not as a left-hand-sided midfielder. I think we need to remember the context behind Kai Havertz. The fact that he’s scoring goals now is because he’s playing centre-forward, which is what he was bought for when he left Germany to go to Chelsea.”
“Arteta was trying to be clever and thought he was getting somebody who can play in the middle of the park, and go forward, and put goals on the end of midfield play as well, which is not the case. He’s shown he can’t do that. What he’s showing us now, right…is that his position is up front.”
Is Kai Havertz the solution to Mikel Arteta’s striker problem?
The 43-cap Germany international is not a perfect striker. There are still elements of his game in the final third that Havertz can improve upon, not least his finishing. However, this Arsenal team seems to function well with him acting as a focal point and spearheading the attack. He certainly deserves to keep his place and position in the starting XI, despite the recent return from injury of Gabriel Jesus.
Much has been made of Arsenal’s need to spend big on an elite-level striker in the upcoming summer transfer window. However, Havertz’s recent form may even prompt a rethink to those plans.