"Impossible not to love him" - Mikel Arteta lauds 'exceptional' Arsenal superstar after 2-1 Brentford win
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Kai Havertz following the Germany international's match-winning performance against Brentford against Saturday, March 9. The 24-year-old scored a late winner for the Gunners to secure his side all three points, providing a major boost for his side in the title race.
Arsenal went 1-0 ahead in the 19th minute, with Declan Rice finding the back of the net before Yoane Wissa forced a mistake out of Aaron Ramsdale late in the first half to make it 1-1. Mikel Arteta's side kept knocking on Brentford's door but struggled to find their way past the Bees' backline.
However, it was Kai Havertz who once again came up with the decisive goal in the 86th minute. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a rich vein of form of late, scoring four goals and providing two assists in his last four league games.
Following the game, Mikel Arteta hailed Havertz as an 'exceptional' player and insisted that it is impossible to not love the former Chelsea star. The Spaniard said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano:
“If someone told me that after the first 2 or 3 months the whole stadium is singing Havertz song with that passion, it would be hard to believe! That’s what happens to good people and an exceptional player. It’s impossible not to love him."
Havertz joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea last summer in a deal worth a reported £65 million. He had a slow start to life at the north London side but has enjoyed a significant improvement in recent weeks. The German has contributed nine goals and three assists in 38 games across competitions so far.
Arsenal reportedly looking to part ways with out-of-favor star
Arsenal are reportedly ready to part ways with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in the summer. The Gunners are understood to be happy to recoup the £24 million fee they paid Sheffield United to rope in the England international.
Ramsdale has fallen down in Mikel Arteta's pecking order following the signing of David Raya on loan from Brentford last summer. The 25-year-old Englishman has made just 11 appearances across competitions this season, having conceded 12 goals and kept three clean sheets.
It looks highly likely that the Gunners will exercise their option to make Raya's deal permanent for £27 million. Ramsdale joined the north London giants in 2021 from Sheffield United and was named in the 'PFA Team of the Year' for his exceptional 2022-23 season.
Ramsdale got his chance to make an impression against Brentford on Saturday, March 9 but made a mistake that cost his side a goal. He also made several important saves as Arsenal managed to secure a 2-1 win, thanks to Kai Havertz' late strike.