Arsenal star Kai Havertz initially struggled after moving from Chelsea, but is now in his best vein of form yet as a centre-forward.
Havertz ended the season superbly under Mikel Arteta, and has carried his Arsenal form into Euro 2024, delivering a spectacular performance as Germany thrashed Scotland 5-0 in the tournament opener.
The 25-year-old scored and assisted as the hosts put Scotland to the sword, and Arsenal outcast Kieran Tierney was on the losing side.
He was far from Scotland’s worst performer, but Tierney was mocked for celebrating a clearance in the opening minutes of the game.
The left-back spent the season on loan at Real Sociedad, but did appear in the Community Shield last August, a game in which Havertz made his Arsenal debut, and the 26-year-old has now praised the German.
Arsenal outcast Kieran Tierney says he’s not surprised at Kai Havertz rejuvenation
Speaking after the game, Tierney praised Havertz for his performance against Scotland, and claimed that he was confident he would succeed in North London.
“He’s a top-class player,” Tierney stated of Havertz.
“I trained with him for a few weeks, but I’m not surprised at how well he’s done, because you can see that, and yeah he’s he’s done well, and I’m sure going to have a a great tournament.”
Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney face very different scenarios this summer
Havertz is finally settled in one position at a club for the first time in years, and he is a popular player among the fanbase.
A strong campaign in the Euros will only help his confidence as he prepares to start next season as a striker, and he will hope that he can continue his fine form from 2024.
However, Tierney faces a different scenario. Real Sociedad have confirmed that they will not keep him, and Arsenal are looking to sell him permanently.
Scotland’s defeat means that a group stage exit now looks likely, and it will be tough for Tierney to impress in such a porous back line against Switzerland and Hungary, with it important that he excels at the Euros to put himself in the shop window.
Arsenal players and transfer targets at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode of Cannon Fire – The Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discuss the European Championships. With 11 Arsenal players set to feature at the tournament, the pair debated which players could be fighting for their futures, and which are destined to succeed on the international stage.