Following the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Luton at the Emirates Stadium, Kai Havertz’s growth was commended by former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and Luton captain Tom Lockyer.
In his role as the striker, Havertz impressed during Arsenal’s easy victory over the Hatters. With the victory, Arsenal moves up to the top of the table with 30 points, one more than Liverpool in second place.
After Havertz moved from Chelsea in the summer for £65 million on an undisclosed long-term contract, Keown acknowledges that he “was not sure” about him, but he now feels that Havertz is “really effective” for Arsenal.
“I wasn’t sure at the beginning. In the Community Shield, he played as a centre-forward and I didn’t see the work rate or the running into the channels, and [Eddie] Nketiah came in the next game and I saw that change.
“Then they moved him into midfield. Now he’s in his proper position as a front player. [He’s] very definitely [at his best there].
“He’s so intelligent; he ghosts through. As a centre-half, you want someone to mark, but when he keeps disappearing into midfield all the time you get a bit nervous, and suddenly he’s there with two or three other players, so he can be really effective and that’s working for Arsenal.”
Lockyer added: “He’s really at home now. The amount of times he did double movement today where he went short off [Teden] Mengi and then spun in behind, and he would have got the ball if it was played to him.
“It might not get picked up by the cameras, but they’re the sort of movements that even if he doesn’t get it, he might get the next one. Then he’ll keep going and get the next one, and eventually something will happen to him.
“When someone works as hard as that, making those selfless runs, then something will fall in the end.”
