Every player needs to find the coach that brings out the best version of him. Many footballers harbor potential within them waiting to be awakened by someone chosen, touched by the stick. Pep Guardiola and many professionals can attest to this. Mikel Arteta, Santpedor’s ‘pupil’, managed under the ‘wing’ of his ‘teacher’ to gain the necessary knowledge to take advantage of the talent of his team members. And one of the biggest winners this season is Kai Havertz who seemed to be wearing a new wave in his career a few months ago.
The German attacker landed at the Emirates Stadium last summer to wear Arsenal’s colors after an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea. It is true that, with the ‘blue’, he was named the champion of the Champions League in 2021, but he never managed to consolidate himself within the eleven of the team that paid Bayer Leverkusen 80 million euros for him in September 2020.
Like many other talents from the German school, Havertz landed in the elite as a result of the ‘springboard’ of the ‘aspirins’ team. He shone in the first team for four seasons and left another young promise there who would be responsible for filling his place, a special Florian Wirtz who this year has definitively exploded with Xabi Alonso.
Although in his first season at Stamford Bridge he would go down in history by scoring the goal that would give the English club their second Champions League, the numbers showed a poor background in the Germany. He did not reach double figures in goals (nine) and assists (six) among all competitions, completely out of place in the team of Thomas Tuchel, who alternated in the position of player- play and center forward.
He would increase his numbers in his second season in London, already established as the undoubted starter in a team that would end up a wreck in 22/23 , with four coaches for 38 games. With Havertz sidelined from the Chelsea game, the German decided to take a new step in his career. Despite the fact that his performance showed a clear decline, Arteta bet heavily on him and made Arsenal pay 75 million euros.
The play did not seem to be going well, as that vengeance, especially in front of the rival goal, which had troubled the Leverkusen youth player at Stamford Bridge seemed to be hunting him again at the Emirates.
In 24 games in the Prime Minister he scored four goals, but the coach of the Basques did not lose patience. In just four duels he scored the same number of goals he had so far, as well as distributing two assists. His confidence soared and, with it, his contribution to the Gunner team.
This season he has already exceeded 3,500 minutes of play, in which he scored 13 goals (12 in the English League) and six assists. But his importance within the team goes far beyond numbers. Havertz has become a great link between Arsenal’s midfield and attack, a connecting point for all his players in that “false nine” position, where he found a home in a season in did the wound separate from the possession of Gabriel Jesus.
His key role within Arteta’s tactical framework is also reflected by advanced statistics. The German is among the one percent of players in Europe’s top five competitions who make the most touches in the competitive area, as well as being one of the best in terms of advanced passes received of his team he has excellent good Arteta, in the end, has made it possible for him to find a place.
2024-05-06 13:57:01
#Waking #Havertz
