Arteta claims Havertz can hit 30 goals amid Gyökeres rotation battle

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Mikel Arteta believes Kai Havertz has the ability to become a 30 goal a-season striker, a striking statement that will only sharpen the debate over who should lead Arsenal's attack this season.

Havertz has established himself as Arteta's preferred centre forward in recent weeks, despite Viktor Gyökeres pushing for more minutes. The German has scored three goals so far this campaign, but according to The Standard, Arteta is confident he can reach the 25 goal mark if he can stay fit and string together a consistent run of matches.

Havertz left frustrated despite Lille win

One of the more telling details to emerge concerns Arsenal's 3-0 Champions League victory over Lille. Havertz came off the bench alongside Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, with the trio helping turn a difficult evening into a comfortable win. Havertz even set up Saka's goal.

Yet Arteta revealed afterwards that the German was anything but content. “He left the pitch so upset because he did not score a goal,” Arteta said, according to The Standard.

That reaction from a player who had just contributed to an important European win speaks to the standards Havertz is setting for himself. Arteta appears to view that hunger as a positive, and he also praised the forward's footballing brain specifically. “His football IQ is something else,” he explained.

What it means for Gyökeres

Havertz's movement, link up play and intelligence have long been central to how Arteta wants his attack to function, and that appears to be the reasoning behind his continued selection ahead of Gyökeres.

There is, however, a gap between being an effective, intelligent centre forward and consistently producing 30 goals in a season. Havertz has only reached 25 goals once in his career, back in the 2019/20 campaign at Bayer Leverkusen, before his move to Chelsea. Matching or improving on that tally in the Premier League would represent a significant step up, particularly given his history of injury problems.

Even so, Arteta's public backing of Havertz explains why Gyökeres continues to find himself competing for a starting role rather than being guaranteed one. The Swede has made no secret of wanting more opportunities, and Arteta's comments suggest that patience, rather than a change in approach up front, is what is currently being asked of him.

With a busy run of fixtures ahead, how Arteta manages the competition between his two senior strikers will remain one of the more closely watched selection battles at the club.