How Kai Havertz went from Arsenal’s £65m dud to Mikel Arteta’s dream No 9: His stats are up in almost EVERY area, goals are flying in big games and he’s relishing the dirty work

Flash back just over a year ago to when Arsenal made the trip to the south coast to play Bournemouth a matter of miles from stretches of rolling beaches. Unbeaten since the start of the season, their form made for similarly picturesque reading.

There was sunny optimism written across the young and hungry squad and Mikel Arteta, slightly weathered by his four years at the club, appeared reinvigorated. But in one corner of the dressing room, a black cloud lingered over one player. 

Kai Havertz, bought from Chelsea for £65million and originally drafted in to play in midfield, had endured a difficult start to life on the other side of the capital after failing to score a goal or register an assist in his first nine games in red and white.

But on that fateful day at Vitality Stadium, his first green shoots of promise burst to the surface and his maiden goal arrived. Yes, it came from a ‘pity penalty’ – Martin Odegaard having handed him the ball – but it put into motion an incredible rise.

Like the finest Olympic relay sprinters, he took up that baton and hasn’t looked back. 

Fast-forward to the present day, Havertz netted his fifth goal in nine games to help Arsenal beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The goal neatly encapsulated the 6ft 3in forward’s bristling abilities; sharp movement from the front and an athletic leap into the hair to get on the end of the cross. 

All of a sudden, he looks like the natural centre forward Arteta has coveted. Arsenal have searched the market for a No 9 in the past couple of transfer windows but, at least for now, Havertz has slotted in seamlessly as the final piece of the puzzle.

He is playing with a smile on his face and glides across the pitch. Dennis Bergkamp’s old quote about connecting with a player’s surroundings has become more apt than ever: ‘You found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong.’ 

Havertz began his Arsenal journey on the left-side of midfield as a floating No 8 but was gradually moulded into a player capable of expertly leading the line. Once a false nine shorn of confidence, he is now red-hot and brimming with belief in his own abilities.

He proved essential during his side’s festive period last season, scoring late against Brentford and Luton and recording a crucial strike in the win against Brighton just before Christmas, finishing the campaign with 13 top-flight goals. 

But he was not done there. His output and general wizardry has elevated his game to even loftier standards this term. His work on and off the ball has made waves and endeared him to supporters known to belt out his name with increasing regularity. 

Again, picture the contrast from those gloomy early days.

Since switching to become Arsenal’s striker in February, he has 14 goals and seven assists to his name, a more than respectable tally in such a short timeframe.

Havertz is perhaps an identikit example of Arteta’s dream player. He blocks passing lanes, his movement is razor-sharp and he harries his opponents from the front, ensuring the team remains a breathless counter-pressing force.

Handily, the full extent of his staggering improvement is revealed when his raw statistics from this season are weighed up against his numbers from last term.

Figures taken from FBref have provided an average indication of how Havertz has fared in several crucial areas. He has also been placed in a percentile for each of them, allowing us to see where he stands in comparison to every Premier League forward.

This season, he averages three shots a game, putting him in the 81st percentile. Last year, he racked up just 2.32 efforts on goal each match and sat in the 40th percentile. This has also translated into Havertz scoring more – a happy balance for Arteta.

There has also been an obvious uplift in his shot-creating actions. 

This season’s average over 90 minutes is 2.67 – placing him in the 94th percentile – while last campaign’s was 3.62, enough to finish in the 85th percentile. This year’s total will certainly rise, however, given the lower number of games he has played.

He has also improved his progressive passes. Data shows Havertz has completed an average of 2.67 every game this season, ranking him in the 94th percentile. Last year, he achieved 3.38 – marginally more – but was put in a lower percentile – the 89th.

The number of progressive carries – taking the ball at least 10 yards higher up the pitch toward the opponent’s goal – is also up. Havertz has refused to shirk his defensive responsibilities, too, with his average tackles per 90 minutes now higher. 

‘Back in the day, I wasn’t the player who won duels and everything, but right now I love it,’ he admitted after the victory against PSG at the Emirates. 

Havertz’s craning header not only saw him beat Gianluigi Donnarumma in the air but also ensured he scored in his sixth successive game at Arsenal’s home ground. 

Imperious in almost every department, he is no longer the tentative midfielder that slipped and stumbled his way across pitches like an uncertain fawn. The nagging questions that dogged his eye-watering price tag have been all but banished, too. 

In fact, the only people still talking about it are Arsenal fans with their own ironic chant dedicated to their No 29.

Havertz has also proven himself likeable and amiable away from the action. Arsenal, of course, are stringent when searching for potential additions. Arteta adopted an early policy of weeding out the bad eggs to keep his squad rowing in one direction.

A diligent worker, Havertz has experienced zero problems on this front. 

‘He has been unbelievable,’ Arteta said. ‘His football brain, the way he understands space, his timing, he brings people together.

‘His work ethic is incredible and he is a real threat around the box. He is one of our main players at the moment.’ 

The sky is the limit, then, provided he can keep the goal rush coming.