Summary Pre-season is a time of scrutiny for expensive new signings, like Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, but it shouldn’t lead to instant judgement. Havertz proved critics wrong by scoring in a later match, responding with a cheeky tweet and a sincere message thanking fans. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sees Havertz as a versatile player who can contribute in different positions, potentially forming strong partnerships with Odegaard or Jesus.
Pre-season is an interesting time for summer signings, especially the more expensive ones, as their performances are put under the microscope for the first time, with fans eagerly anticipating a first mistake to jump onto.
What pre-season should not be is a run of games for new arrivals to be ruled out as flops. So, you can imagine the confusion when some rival fans were quick to write off Arsenal’s £65m signing Kai Havertz after he failed to perform in a skills challenge.
That’s right, the German was brandished a flop by some after a fairly embarrassing attempt at the MLS volley challenge, in which he failed to score a single effort. One day later, however, and when it mattered slightly more, the former Chelsea man had no problem in front of goal, silencing criticism.
Proving people wrong, Havertz couldn’t resist taking to Twitter to take a dig at the doubters.
Kai Havertz responds to criticism
Havertz wasted no time in mounting a response to those who initially criticised him after the skills challenge, with a cold two-word Tweet saying “Hav that” – a pun on his own name – while adding a target and a yawn emoji, no doubt referring to the online backlash he’d faced after his struggles in the skills challenge.
He then sent a more serious message, which said: “But in all seriousness.. Really nice feeling to get my first Arsenal goal!
“Thank you to the fans for the amazing support this week!”
With the Premier League season fast approaching, it will be somewhat of a relief for both Havertz and Mikel Arteta that the forward is off the mark in an Arsenal shirt.
The German will be hoping to hit the heights that many believed he’d reach at Chelsea, before struggling for form, and never really getting going at Stamford Bridge as he failed to reach double figures in the league in any of his three seasons with the Blues.
How will Arsenal line up with Kai Havertz?
Havertz is a difficult one to predict, with even Arteta stuggling to find his best role, saying, via 90min, after the Gunners’ 5-0 pre-season friendly win against MLS All-Stars: “He gives us something very different with his quality and size as well, when you have to beat the press for example and use him as a target man.”
“So, we will see – for now, he’s playing in the attacking midfield position, but I’m sure throughout the season and throughout games as well, we’re going to have the options to play him in different positions.”
It’ll certainly be an interesting one to keep an eye on. We could see the German link-up with Martin Odegaard to form a dangerous midfield duo. Or, he could find himself paired with Gabriel Jesus as a striker.
Either way, Arteta has got himself a versatile player capable of producing for his side. And, although there may have been a few initial concerns, Havertz proved against MLS All-Stars that he is more than ready to perform for the North London side.
As they prepare for the forthcoming Premier League season, Arsenal will be dreaming of going one better than the last campaign by winning the title.
Indeed, having lost out to Manchester City last season, the Gunners will look to go again, causing more shocks along the way.
They will also have an eye on the Champions League amid their return to European action, where they will finally go head-to-head against the best teams in the world once more.