Mikel Arteta has backed Kai Havertz to take his goalscoring to a new level for Arsenal this season. The German has scored three times so far this campaign and the manager believes he can reach new heights by getting towards the 25 or 30-goal mark if he stays fit.
Havertz's career-best tally
Havertz has reached 20 goals in all competitions across a season only once in his career, during the 2018-19 campaign at Bayer Leverkusen. He reached double figures in just one of his three seasons at Chelsea, while his numbers at Arsenal have been hampered by fitness issues.
Had Havertz not suffered a significant hamstring injury in the final months of the 2024-25 season, he would likely have gone past the 20-goal mark. He registered 15 goals in 36 appearances but did not start a single match after February 5.
Fitness and form this season
Havertz has started every Premier League match so far this season and overcame a minor hamstring issue over the international break to avoid a spell on the sidelines. He has scored three times this season.
“He has that ability,” Arteta said. “That is why he is playing there as well, and that is why we signed him. I think he has it, and he needs that volume of games and actions. If you give him that, I am a big believer that yes, he can do it.”
Lille impact and competitive character
Havertz did not start against Lille on Tuesday night but came on as part of a triple substitution in the second half alongside Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. The trio changed the match as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win. Havertz assisted Saka's goal to put the finishing touches on a seven-minute spell in which Arsenal scored three goals.
However, the German was far from satisfied in the dressing room after the match. “He’s so competitive, Kai,” Arteta said. “For example, after the game with Lille, he came in and he’d made a massive impact and you could see straight away what he did on the pitch. But he left the pitch so upset because he did not score a goal. He was happy to help the team but so upset.”
“That is the character we want: a player who wants to evolve and improve every single day. He loves the game, he loves to run, he loves to feel important and loves to feel he can help other players as well.”
Arteta's view of Havertz's football IQ
Arteta has regularly spoken in glowing terms about Havertz since signing him in the summer of 2023. He was initially deployed in midfield but has become Arsenal's first-choice striker, with Arteta viewing him as one of his most intelligent players.
“His football IQ is something else,” Arteta said. “He understands everything at such speed and he can break down information better probably than anyone else on the team. That’s something that’s not easy to say especially when we talk about a striker.”
