‘Remove him from the squad right now or I get you fired’: Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has just told Arteta that he must remove this 24-year-old talent from his team list immediately or he risks losing his job.
‘Remove him from the squad right now or I get you fired’: Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has just told Arteta that he must remove this 24-year-old talent from his team list immediately or he risks losing his job.
Arsenal fans couldn’t believe their eyes when Kai Havertz missed a gilt-edged chance to score against Fulham on Saturday.
Arsenal went into the third gameweek of the Premier League season six points from two games, but they went into half-time trailing 1-0 to Fulham.
Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to an Andreas Pereira goal after 56 seconds when Bukayo Saka played the Fulham attacker in with a sloppy pass.
Pereira still had a lot to do, and when he saw Aaron Ramsdale off his line he decided to try and chip the goalkeeper.
The Brazil international fluffed his chip, but his effort found the bottom corner as Ramsdale lost his balance struggling to get back into position.
Arsenal then looked sure to equalise when Saka did brilliantly to keep the ball in play at the far post, but Havertz – on the stretch – poked the ball back towards his teammate instead of into the empty goal.
Arsenal paid £65 million to sign Havertz from Chlelsea this summer, but so far fans have not been entirely convinced by the German.
The 24-year-old only scored nine goals in 47 games in all competitions for Chelsea last season, suggesting he is far from the prolific goalscorer Arsenal could really do with.
In an attempt to find a way back into the match, Arteta brought on Eddie Nketiah in place of Leandro Trossard at half-time.
Havertz’s blushes were spared in the second half though as Saka and Nketiah both scored to put Arsenal ahead.
Saka cooly converted from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after Fabio Viera was fouled in the box, and two minutes later Nketiah converted Vieira’s low cross to turn the game on its head.
Havertz was replaced by Vieira in the 56th minute when Fulham were still leading 1-0.
