Kai Havertz appears to have heeded Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's warning about his poor discipline, showing marked improvement in his conduct on the pitch. The German international surprised Arteta with his high number of bookings upon joining the club, but recent seasons have seen a dramatic reduction in yellow cards.
Discipline Issues Upon Arrival
In his first full season as a Gunner, Havertz accumulated 14 yellow cards, including 11 in the Premier League. He ended the campaign as Arsenal's most-booked player in the top flight and served a suspension after reaching five bookings. This prompted Arteta to speak out in 2024, stating: "We'll have to improve because we don't want our players having that many because we are the best in the league for that. It's something to improve."
Improvement Over Two Seasons
Since Arteta's comments, Havertz has been booked only eight times across two seasons. Last term, he received just seven yellow cards, including five in the Premier League across 23 appearances. In the current campaign, despite playing only 20 times due to injuries, he has been shown just one yellow card, clearly adjusting his game as requested.
Injury-Riddled Season
Havertz's season has been disjointed due to injuries. After Viktor Gyokeres was signed in the summer, his playing time was reduced, but a serious knee issue in August kept him out for over four months, missing 32 games. He returned in January but has struggled with hamstring problems, undergoing further surgery. Despite these setbacks, his self-control has improved.
Havertz's Determination to Help
Speaking in March, Havertz admitted the season has been tough but expressed his desire to contribute. "I think we all know this season was not what I expected it to be, but I always think that things happen for a reason, and now I'm back and I feel good, and I'm happy to help the team again," he said. "It has been stop-start, but sometimes football is like this. I haven't really faced a challenge like this before in my career, so I just tried to give everything to be back as soon as I could."
Havertz also acknowledged the support from his family during his recovery: "Obviously I got my support at home. My family helped me a lot during that time. Having two surgeries after another is not easy, but I think I'm professional enough to know that this is also part of football sometimes."
Arsenal recently reached their second-ever Champions League final after defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday night. Havertz, who scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 final, was restricted to the bench for the semi-final second leg.
