Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira recently expressed his views on 23-year-old Arsenal player Kai Havertz, stating that he has never witnessed a standout performance from the German midfielder during his time with the club. After Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Sevilla, pundit Adrian Clarke joined the discussion on TalkSPORT, echoing Vieira’s sentiments. Clarke acknowledged that Havertz hasn’t been terrible but emphasized that he has yet to make a significant positive impact on any game for Arsenal.
Clarke mentioned his uncertainty about Havertz’s place in Arsenal’s strongest starting XI, attributing it to the player’s lack of game-changing performances. While acknowledging Havertz’s decent contributions, Clarke highlighted the absence of moments of exceptional quality or dominance in the midfielder’s performances. He pointed to the recent match against Sevilla where other players like Saka and Martinelli stood out, contrasting it with Havertz’s performance, which, although not bad, failed to shine.
The pundit delved into the challenge of defining Havertz’s role on the pitch, noting that he doesn’t neatly fit into the categories of a striker, number 10, or midfielder. Clarke expressed the difficulty in identifying what constitutes a good game for Havertz since his game isn’t primarily defined by goals, assists, playmaking, or defensive contributions. He remarked that Havertz often appears lost on the field, raising concerns about the player’s inability to provide significant contributions to Arsenal.