Murphy tips Arsenal striker as Golden Boot 'dark horse'
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Kai Havertz has been named a dark horse in the race for this season's Premier League Golden Boot, with Danny Murphy backing the German to finish among the division's leading scorers if he can stay fit.
Havertz has been Arsenal's go-to option through the middle since the current campaign began, having reclaimed the role after a stop-start previous season in which repeated injuries opened the door for Viktor Gyokeres to start a run of matches.
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Murphy makes his case
Speaking via the Metro, Murphy explained why he sees Havertz as a live contender behind the established front-runner.
"The other dark horse, if he stays fit, might be Havertz, not necessarily to catch Haaland, but to be in the top three or four, because Havertz is a calm finisher," the former Liverpool midfielder said.
He added: "If he stays fit Arsenal are going to get him chances, plus he's brilliant in the air. I think he could be up there pushing behind Haaland, because if Arsenal keep dominating and winning games like they do, and he looks fit, he's going to score loads of goals."
Murphy's reasoning leans heavily on volume. His argument is that the sheer number of chances Arsenal generate, combined with Havertz's aerial threat and composure in the box, should translate into a healthy return across a full campaign.
Fitness remains the caveat
The word "if" does a lot of work in Murphy's prediction, and for good reason. Havertz's previous season was disrupted by multiple injury setbacks, which is precisely what allowed Gyokeres to accumulate starts in the first place.
The German is now the subject of a fresh fitness concern picked up while on international duty with Germany, and Arsenal will be waiting on clarity over the severity of the problem.
That backdrop makes Murphy's caveat the central issue. A Golden Boot challenge requires availability above all else, and Havertz has not yet strung together an uninterrupted season leading the line at the Emirates.
Gyokeres remains the alternative should Havertz be absent, though the Swede has largely been used from the bench when the German is available, with Havertz's profile seen as the better fit for the way Arsenal want to attack.
Arsenal will now await the outcome of Havertz's assessment before knowing whether Murphy's prediction has any runway at all in the coming weeks.
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