'Mikel Arteta is killing Kai Havertz'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Jan 2024 09:32 GMT
• 3 min read

Mikel Arteta is doing Kai Havertz no favours by playing him as a number nine, according to Chris Sutton.

The German had to deputise at centre-forward, as he did many times at Chelsea, against Liverpool in the FA Cup, drawing criticism for his underwhelming performance and squandering of several chances. Such was Arsenal's wastefulness during the game that Ian Wright tweeted "we need a killer" from the stands.

Though Arsenal have been linked with many a big-name striker in recent months, Mikel Arteta has admitted the idea of the Gunners signing one in January was simply not realistic. Therefore, we could see Havertz play in that position again in the future.

Arteta, however, should think twice about using the 24-year-old as a striker, according to Chris Sutton. The former Celtic and Norwich number nine believes that Havertz can't handle the pressure of being the main man up top and that it is destroying him psychologically.

'Arteta is killing Havertz'

"I don't think that Mikel Arteta picking Kai Havertz as a central striker or a false nine is doing any good for the Arsenal team, and I don't think he's doing any good for Kai Havertz," Sutton said on the It's All Kicking Off podcast.

"I think psychologically, when he knows he is playing as a central striker, he looks like he is shackled. He looks like the weight of the shirt is too great for him. He looks like he dithers and delays, just as he did on a couple of occasions in the first half. He doesn't think clearly."

"Kai Havertz is a good footballer, but I think Mikel Arteta playing him as a number nine, it just absolutely kills him, destroys him psychologically. He has to play him as an eight. And we've seen this season that when he does play as an eight, he seems to play freer, he seems to enjoy it more."

"So I think that was a huge mistake from Mikel Arteta and something which he really needs to think about. What message does that send to Eddie Nketiah? If he's desperate and plays Havertz as a nine, what is Eddie Nketiah thinking?"