Man City vs. Arsenal: Kai Havertz breaks goalscoring drought as Mikel Arteta's trust in striker over Viktor Gyokeres pays off

Kai Havertz's extremity for Arsenal against Manchester City connected Saturday was his archetypal successful the Premier League since February 2025.

The Gunners endured a nightmare commencement astatine the Etihad, conceding to a Rayan Cherki onslaught successful the aboriginal stages, though they were fortunate that City lone deed the station minutes prior.

However, Mikel Arteta's broadside responded instantaneously done Kai Havertz, who closed down goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to people successful the 18th minute.

That extremity not lone represented the forward's archetypal successful the Premier League this season, but it was his archetypal extremity successful the league since February 2, 2025 against Man City.

Havertz suffered a superior knee wounded successful Arsenal's archetypal game of the 2025-26 run against Manchester United successful August, and helium besides suffered a superior hamstring contented successful February past year.

Does Kai Havertz telephone uncover Viktor Gyokeres failure?

Arteta brought Gyokeres to the nine successful the summertime from Sporting Lisbon, and galore thought that the striker would beryllium the last portion of the puzzle for a broadside that had finished 2nd 3 seasons successful a row.

However, the Swede has struggled successful the English apical flight, failing to people successful 21 of his 30 Premier League games this season.

It was concerning that Arteta near the centre-forward retired of the starting lineup successful the EFL Cup last against Man City earlier successful March, and his exclusion successful favour of Havertz should possibly ringing alarm bells amongs the Arsenal fanbase.

Though it is lone his archetypal play successful England, helium has consistently encountered difficulties successful unfastened play, whereas Havertz has been acold much impactful contempt his wounded issues.

It would not beryllium astonishing if the Gunners were progressive successful the transportation marketplace for different fig 9 successful the summer, though the Arsenal brag whitethorn beryllium tempted to instrumentality with Havertz if helium tin beryllium enactment fit.

Does Mikel Arteta person a occupation with guardant players?

Though Gyokeres has struggled, immoderate fans and pundits person criticised the Gunners caput manager for failing to get the astir retired of his guardant players.

Indeed, nary Arsenal subordinate astatine the nine has scored much than 9 non-penalty goals successful the Premier League this season, with prima winger Bukayo Saka having lone scored 5 non-penalty goals successful the apical formation this term.

If Arsenal privation to prolong rubric challenges successful aboriginal seasons, Arteta whitethorn request to see adopting a much violative benignant of play, oregon astatine slightest adapting to the qualities of the players successful his squad.