Arsenal's Kai Havertz applauds the fans ahead of The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 6, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Arsenal star Kai Havertz is facing a return to Chelsea this weekend (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is facing a difficult selection decision when it comes to his side's upcoming clash with London rivals Chelsea, particularly surrounding the return of Kai Havertz. The Germany international joined the Gunners in the summer for a fee worth roughly £65million.
That came after a three-year spell with the Blues, where his consistency was hit and miss, but he had plenty of big moments to show for his time there. One of those was his goal against Manchester City in the Champions League final, which won the west London side the trophy.
Despite that, the feeling towards Havertz wasn't always too fond from fans, who would often lament his inconsistency and questions would arise on his best position. Those would go unanswered though as the forward left for the Emirates Stadium over the summer, with Arteta looking to get the most out of his new star.
Given the rivalry, there has naturally been something of a spotlight on Havertz since his move and some similar questions have followed. The striker was placed in midfield as the manager looked to add something fresh to his attacking play, with hopes the arrival would do just that.
There haven't quite been those individual moments for the 24-year-old, but he has one goal to his name after scoring a penalty against Bournemouth, with hopes it would build his confidence. He also grabbed a crucial assist against Manchester City, coming from the bench to win a knock down, laying it off to Gabriel Martinelli for the winning goal.
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With that slight momentum under his belt, a two-week international break means there's a wait before he is back in action for Arsenal again. On that return, he will be back at Stamford Bridge as the Gunners face his old club Chelsea in a London derby, with some decisions to be made over his place in the team.
One key consideration may be that confidence mentioned prior, as there's uncertainty over the type of reception he may receive from the home supporters. Should any misplaced pass, shot or header be made, the consequences could damage that hard work done to build him up if the Chelsea fans latched onto it.
