Mocked Havertz is suddenly showered with love
Often criticized, now celebrated: Kai Havertz has shot Arsenal FC to the top of the table. Coach Mikel Arteta hails the player and makes a big speech about his ability to defy difficulties. The international now hopes that the knot has burst.
When the leap to the top of the table was perfect, Mikel Arteta rushed straight to Kai Havertz. The Arsenal coach lovingly put the match-winner in a headlock, dragged him towards the fans and repeatedly pointed to the much-criticized new signing, who finally seemed to have arrived after scoring the winning goal. "I've had a difficult few weeks and months, but I'm happy and hope to be able to repeat that in the coming games," said Havertz after his late and much-acclaimed header (89') as a joker to make it 1:0 (0:0) at FC Brentford. He was "grateful" for everyone who had stood by him.
After all, a difficult time lies behind the international, who was recently surprisingly called up as a left-back in the DFB team. Havertz has often been criticized and has sometimes been derided as a bad buy since he arrived from Chelsea FC for around 75 million euros in the summer. However, after scoring only his second goal in a Gunners shirt, the 24-year-old was showered with praise. "From zero to hero" was the headline in the Sun. The Mirror wrote of Havertz's most important goal for Arsenal, one for which he had been signed. The fans could now hope that this was the start of "something special".
"Everyone has hugged him and told him how much we love him - and there's a reason for that," enthused Arteta. Havertz is "an example to us all of what you have to do when you're in trouble. We couldn't be happier that he won the game for us."
It was also an exclamation mark in the direction of rivals such as Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp. Manchester City and Liverpool FC had previously drawn 1:1 (1:0). The fact that Erling Haaland reached the 50-goal mark in the Premier League in just his 48th game, faster than anyone before, and set a record, was not enough for City to defend their lead at the top of the table - Arsenal took full advantage thanks to Havertz.
"Es ist schwer, wenn ein neuer Spieler kommt und sie eine Menge Geld für dich bezahlen", sagte Havertz über die Kritik, zuvor hatte er nur im September einmal gegen den FC Bournemouth getroffen. "It's hard work, nothing comes by itself, you have to believe in it. I tried to put my ego to one side."
Source: www.ntv.de
