"Just looks so off the pace" - Pundit suggests Arsenal star can't do anything right despite 3-1 Burnley win
Former Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie O’Hara expressed his concerns over Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz after the Gunners' 3-1 Premier League win against Burnley on Saturday.
Havertz managed to start the game for Mikel Arteta but was substituted by Fabio Vieira after 58 minutes of action. During the match, the German international managed 31 touches of the ball, completed a passing accuracy of 77% and registered one key pass.
He won just one of his three ground duels and three of his seven attempted aerial duels while losing possession eight times during the fixture. Addressing the midfielder's performances, O’Hara said (via HITC):
"Kai Havertz is really struggling to do anything in this Arsenal side. He got dragged after 59 minutes today. He just looks so off the pace.”
The 24-year-old midfielder joined the Emirates Stadium from Chelsea for a fee of €75 million this summer. Since joining the north Londoners, he's scored just one goal and assisted once from 19 appearances across all competitions.
Havertz has started eight Premier League matches this season but failed to contribute to his side's latest league win. Leandro Trossard, William Saliba, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were the goalscorers for Arsenal on the night.
The Gunners are now placed second in the league standings, level on points with leaders Manchester City (27), who are yet to play their weekend's fixture.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta concurs with Fabio Vieira's red card in the 3-1 win against Burnley
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta concurred with the on-field and VAR decision regarding midfielder Fabio Vieira's red card in the 3-1 win against Burnley on Saturday.
The former Portugal under-21 international came on as a substitute for Kai Havertz in the second half. However, the 23-year-old saw red for a late and dangerous challenge on Burnley's Josh Bronwnhill in the 83rd minute.
Addressing the decision, Arteta said in his post-match press conference (via Football London):
"With the red card… Yes, VAR was right. The referee was right. Really good decision."
The Gunners' players will now undertake international duty before returning to Premier League action. Following the international break, Arteta's side will face Brentford (on Nov. 25), who are currently placed ninth on the league table with 16 points from 11 matches.