Jamie Carragher has hailed the impact Kai Havertz has made for Arsenal this season, comparing him to former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino.
Havertz joined Arsenal from Chelsea last summer and has become a key player for Mikel Arteta, with the 24-year-old now doing an excellent job up front after initially struggling to make much of an impact in midfield.
As a forward, Havertz has scored seven goals and provided six assists in 16 games for the Gunners while he managed just six goals and zero assists in 32 games in midfield. And Carragher believes there are parallels between Havertz and Firmino, with the Sky Sports pundit hailing his work off the ball.
"I was thinking about when you think of great centre-forwards in the Premier League who haven't been great goalscorers, the one who comes to mind is Firmino at Liverpool and the work he did off the ball really," Carragher said on Monday Night Football.
"And you see what Havertz is doing off the ball, he will get goals but he won't get an avalanche." Carragher also claimed that Havertz being played up front ahead of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah is the "biggest reason" why Arsenal have improved in 2024.
Premier League odds and betting tips
"I think Arsenal right now, defensively, are as good as anyone in Europe and probably the world right now and making it tough for teams," he explained. "They have definitely improved in 2024 more than probably the first half of the season and the biggest reason for me, or one of the reasons that has helped this, is Kai Havertz.
"Now, Havertz has been mocked a little bit at the start of the season and again, when he came in you are not quite sure where he fits in. And to be honest, I have never been quite sure what his position is.
Carragher has hailed the impact of Arsenal star Kai Havertz (AFP via Getty Images)"I think finally now he is a centre-forward. I am not saying he is going to be an unbelievable goalscorer because he is not. But he is a centre-forward and he is helping Arsenal do what they are doing right now, which is being so strong defensively and that is what is giving them a great chance to win the Premier League."
Arsenal are currently top of the league with just two games left to play this season, although defending champions Manchester City are only one point behind them and they do have a game in hand.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
