This weekend, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side will face the toughest test of the Premier League campaign so far, when the Gunners travel to face champions Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
The north Londoners will be looking to right the wrongs of last season after they fell to a 4-1 defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side in an outing that derailed their attempts of winning their first top-division title in nearly 20 years.
However, Arteta’s side look like a completely different proposition this time around, with the club currently the highest scorers in the division whilst boasting the best defensive record out of the 20 sides.
Arsenal currently top the Premier League on goal difference from Liverpool, with the Gunners looking to extend their one-point lead over City when they face off on Sunday.
If Arteta wants to come away with all three points, he must start one player who has been in unbelievable form since the start of 2024.
Kai Havertz’s stats in 2024
After arriving at the Emirates for £65m from Chelsea, forward Kai Havertz only managed to find the net on four occasions between August and December, with the German unable to hit the ground running.
However, despite his poor form for the Gunners, boss Arteta decided to stick with the 24-year-old with the club benefitting from the Spaniard’s decision to not drop him from the starting lineup.
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Havertz in the PL 2023 v 2024 for Arsenal |
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|---|---|---|
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Statistics |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Appearances |
19 |
8 |
|
Goals |
4 |
4 |
|
Assists |
1 |
2 |
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Stats via Transfermarkt |
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Since the turn of the year, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has excelled, with Havertz starting to demonstrate why the club was so keen to splash big money on him last summer.
He’s started the last six Premier League games, with the attacker scoring in each of his last four, including a brilliant strike in the 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United at the start of March.
Havertz has matched his tally from 2023 in 11 games fewer, with the forward already beating his number of assists – a real indication of his rapid progress at the Emirates over the last couple of months.
His good form should make him a shoo-in for a start against City on Sunday, with the German having the ability to cause real problems for one player in particular.
Why Kai Havertz must be unleashed against Man City
During his time in England, the forward has featured ten times against tomorrow’s opponents, winning four times and losing six. However, he did score the crucial goal in the Champions League final in 2021 when Chelsea ran out 1-0 winners in Porto.
The £280k-per-week ace has often had the beating of City defender Rúben Dias, with writer Raj Chohan claiming that “Dias still probably has nightmares” about the German after his Champions League final performance.
Havertz also caused Dias no end of problems during the Euros during the same summer, with the German scoring in the 4-2 victory over Portugal, where the centre-back also put through his own net in the embarrassing defeat.
Given his recent record against the former Benfica defender, it’s a no-brainer that Arteta should start the 24-year-old with his tireless running and movement undoubtedly set to cause Dias yet more issues.
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