Havertz ‘relaxed’ over ‘bumpy’ start at Arsenal

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz said on Thursday he was staying calm despite his “bumpy” start in north London following his big money move from Chelsea. Speaking on international duty at a press conference in Wolfsburg ahead of Germany’s friendly with Japan tomorrow, Havertz told the media he was “clearly busy” trying to integrate with his new side.
“I think so far in my career I had phases here and there where things were a little bumpy – and of course I know that you (media) after four matchdays will just point out the negatives, and a lot of bad stuff will be written,” he said. “It’s not the first time I’ve come to a new club and so I know that it can take a bit longer and so I am relaxed about it.”
With no goals or assists in his first four Premier League games for Arsenal, Havertz has come under fire, prompting manager Mikel Arteta to defend him. After withdrawing Havertz 56 minutes into Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Fulham in late August, Arteta said the forward had “already done really good things” but admitted the final touch was missing. “In a lot of situations he should have scored a lot of goals already this season. That’s the thing that is missing there,” said Arteta.
Arsenal, who finished runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League last season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in six seasons, have three wins and a draw so far this season. “It’s only my second month there, so that’s why I’m relatively relaxed,” added Havertz.
The 24-year-old, who scored the winner in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final, moved to Arsenal in the summer for a reported fee of 75mn euros.
Meanwhile, Havertz said Euro 2024 hosts Germany must beat Japan and France in their upcoming international friendlies to win back fans and start creating some pre-tournament buzz for the host nation. The Germans have won just one of their last five matches since their shock World Cup group-stage exit in December, leaving coach Hansi Flick under scrutiny ahead of tomorrow’s match against Japan and Tuesday’s game against 2022 World Cup finalists France.
Another slip up by the four-time world and three-time European champions who have been eliminated in the first round of the last two World Cups, could see Flick leave just two years after taking over. They have managed just three wins in their last 11 international matches.
“We now have had a long period which was very, very negative,” attacking midfielder Havertz. “Next year there is a Euro on home soil which is something you don’t get to experience often as a player. So we want to start creating some euphoria across the country by winning games. We don’t see them as friendly matches against Japan and France. We take them very seriously. We will do everything to make the fans happy.”
They will be without attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala, who on Thursday was ruled out for the two matches with a back injury, and will not travel with the team. Flick had already called up fellow attacking midfielder Thomas Mueller two days earlier following an injury to forward Niclas Fuellkrug. With the Euros just nine months away, German fans are running out of patience, having seen their team eliminated early in the last three major tournaments, including at the last European Championship in 2021 where they lost in the round of 16.
Fans booed and jeered Flick’s players in their most recent set of matches in June, with Germany, who as hosts do not need to qualify for the Euros, losing to Colombia and Poland while drawing with Ukraine. “We have been criticised a lot in the past months, sometimes not deservedly in my opinion,” said Havertz.
“But that made us stronger so we will go to win the games and make the nation proud. We have not enjoyed a lot of support since the World Cup. We have not felt 100% support. But we will try to get the fans back and that happens only through victories.”