Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on after the draw against Wolves (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Arsenal have been on a slump lately, not necessarily the favorites to win the Premier League, but can Kai Havertz still save their season?
The Germany international’s absence through injury is undoubtedly one of Mikel Arteta’s biggest frustrations this season. Because when he is fully healthy and confident, he can have a huge impact.
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Not everyone was enamored with Havertz when he first joined Arsenal after a somewhat lackluster spell at Chelsea, but by the end of the memorable 2023/24 season he had shown his importance to the team.
Havertz has been limited to just three Premier League appearances so far in the 2025/26 season, but if he can return in the hunt for the title, there will be reason for optimism for the Gooners, who are perhaps in a panic.
Kai Havertz’s incredible run that almost cost Arsenal the title
There’s a lot of talk about Arsenal being the ‘bottlers’ in the title race, but that’s a far cry from what happened when they fought until the final day of the 2023/24 season.
In the end, it was a mid-season blunder against a near-perfect Manchester City side, but Manchester City continued to win and ultimately clinched the title by just two points.
Arsenal had a near-perfect record until the end, winning 16 of their last 18 games, drawing 1 and losing 1.
Havertz was instrumental in this breakthrough, with nine goals and six assists in his final 14 games, meaning he contributed an average of more than one goal per game…
Of course, Arsenal would also benefit from a return to form from other players. Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard haven’t played their best this term, but by the start of 2024 they were performing well week in and week out.
But it’s clear from the few games Havertz has played this term that he’s made players around him look good and is far more balanced than struggling summer signing Victor Gökeres.
When will Kai Havertz return from injury?
The Athletic recently reported that Havertz will be sidelined, but it seems unlikely he will be out for too long.
As reported by the Evening Standard today, Arteta even hinted that the 26-year-old could feature in Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham.
AFC may be wise not to bring Havertz back into the starting lineup right away, but at the same time they will be desperate to bring him in and see if he can provide Arteta with the key to finally returning the Premier League trophy to the club for the first time in 22 years.
