Bayern opponents
Everyone loves Kai: How Havertz won the hearts of Arsenal fans
Kai Havertz, here with playmaker Martin Odegaard (l.), is the player of the moment for Bayern’s opponents Arsenal
© Nick Potts / DPA
Kai Havertz didn’t really make his big breakthrough at Chelsea FC, with whom he won the Champions League. However, he is playing big against today’s Bayern opponents Arsenal.
After Arsenal FC’s successful dress rehearsal for the Champions League quarter-finals against FC Bayern Munich this Tuesday (9 p.m./Prime Video), coach Mikel Arteta put his arm around him Kai Havertz and beamed with joy as he pointed to the German national soccer player, who has been in good form for weeks. “He definitely has a huge influence on the team,” Arteta said at the press conference after Saturday’s 3-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion. Thanks to Havertz, the Londoners are now tied on points with Liverpool FC, but lead the Premier League table with a significantly better goal difference.
The 24-year-old scored the goal to make it 2-0 and provided the assist to make it 3-0. The fans who had traveled with him celebrated him with loud chants in the stadium. “He enjoys the recognition of the other players, the staff at the club and now also from our fans, that’s for sure,” Arteta said afterwards with satisfaction. Havertz will once again come into play against the struggling Bavarians. It is almost certain that he will be in the starting line-up.
Thomas Tuchel praises Kai Havertz
The former Leverkusen player has made an impressive development in North London. When he moved from local rivals Chelsea to runner-up Arsenal last summer, his enthusiasm was limited. Havertz scored Chelsea’s Champions League triumph in 2021 with his goal. “Kai perhaps scored the best goal of my coaching career,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, recalling their time together at Chelsea. “He’s a great guy, he has a great character, he’s a great team player. I’m happy for him that he gets the appreciation he deserves.”
But he never really asserted himself at Stamford Bridge. Seven goals in 35 games last season wasn’t what the Blues were hoping for. Arsenal fans were also annoyed that the unpopular league rival from the west of the city was helped with the Havertz purchase, because Chelsea urgently had to get rid of players after an unprecedented spending spree under the new owners in order not to violate the rules of Financial Fair Play. On top of that, some former Chelsea professionals had disappointed at Arsenal, including Jorginho, who now provided the assist for Havertz’s goal against Brighton.
Arteta, however, recognized the potential in the young German offensive player and now sees this confirmed after a mixed initial phase. Since Havertz moved from midfield to the top, things have been going well. “I think his overall performance was really good,” said the coach, drawing a positive interim conclusion. “And now his numbers are really high in terms of goal participation.” Most recently, Havertz scored five goals and prepared four in seven league games. “He’s thriving, regardless of whether there are fans or not,” said Tuchel, “we have to take care of him.”
“It’s impossible not to love him”
When Havertz scored the late winning goal in the Premier League match at Brentford FC a month ago, Mikel Arteta summed up the development aptly. “If someone had told me two or three months ago that the whole stadium would be passionately singing a song about him, it would have been hard to believe. But that happens to good people and exceptional players,” said the Spanish coach. “People see how he plays for the team and how he contributes. It’s impossible not to love him.”
National coach Julian Nagelsmann, who had in the meantime experimented with Havertz as a left-back, is also impressed and is relying on the 24-year-old in attack. “I think he brings in a component that we otherwise don’t have much of,” said Nagelsmann on ZDF before the DFB team’s friendly against France two weeks ago. “It’s just speed in depth.” Havertz scored the second goal to make it 2-0 and helped to ignite a new euphoria ahead of the upcoming home European Championship. It is quite possible that he will go into the tournament as English football champions. Maybe also as another Champions League winner?