Posted by According to ex-Chelsea player Chris Sutton, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is “killing” Kai Harvertz mentally by starting him as center forward.
Since joining the Gunners from Chelsea last summer, Havertz has played multiple roles under Arteta’s tutelage.
When they were just knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool in the third round, Arteta started the German international up front.
Arsenal lost 2-0 at Emirates despite having numerous opportunities created by Havertz.
It is Sutton’s belief that Arteta is not benefiting the 24-year-old by deploying him as a center-forward up front.
Neither the Arsenal team nor Havertz are benefiting from his presence, in my opinion. From a psychological standpoint, he appears imprisoned when playing as a striker; he dithers and delays, as if the shirt’s weight were too much for him. Sutton stated on the podcast It’s All Kicking Off that he lacks clear thinking.
Going into the game, changing into his number nine jersey, and playing in that position undoubtedly impacts him, in my opinion. If Mikel Arteta wants to keep Kai Havertz’s mental health in check, he can’t have him play number nine. Instead, Arteta must switch to playing number eight, and Havertz appears to thrive in that role.
Across all competitions, Harvertz has made 29 appearances for Arsenal, scoring five goals and providing one assist.