At a Glance:
- Arsenal lost 2-1 away at Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
- The result leaves the Citizens just three points behind the Gunners.
- Despite the loss, James McNicholas thought Mikel Arteta found something that ‘worked tactically’ at the Etihad.
Arsenal suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, denting their Premier League title hopes, although Mikel Arteta may have stumbled upon an effective set-up in the process.
The Gunners were beaten 2-1 at the Etihad, with Rayan Cherki’s stunning strike and Erling Haaland’s poacher’s finish cancelling out Kai Havertz’s bizarre goal. The result leaves City just three points behind the North Londoners with five matches left to play, although Pep Guardiola’s men still have a game in hand.
While the outcome in Manchester significantly reduces Mikel Arteta’s side’s chances of winning the league, there were plenty of positives for Arsenal to take away from the game in the north-west.
- READ MORE: Mikel Arteta must really regret his 74th minute decision vs Man City that may have cost Arsenal
Gunnerblog says Mikel Arteta found something that ‘worked tactically’ during Man City vs Arsenal
Against City, for the first time since December, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze started together for Arsenal. Meanwhile, for just the second time this season, Kai Havertz started up front for the Gunners.
This system and this personnel seemingly reignited the North London outfit’s attack, providing them with a more cohesive press and more fluid offensive patterns. While Havertz has faced criticism for his finishing on Sunday, James McNicholas, aka Gunnerblog, has cited the German’s performance as a significant contributing factor behind Arsenal’s improved display.
“Mikel Arteta went with Kai Havertz, who scored in this game, lest we forget,” the journalist said on his YouTube channel.
“And I thought it worked tactically. I thought it worked tactically. I thought ball retention was better. Competing in the duels was better. The pressing miles better.
“I mean, Odegaard and Havertz back is integral to our press, and you saw the difference that it made. We got a goal out of it. But is Kai Havertz a lethal finisher in the Erling Haaland mould? Absolutely not.
“If he were, we would get something from this game. He has the one-on-one where Odegaard slips him in, and [Gianluigi] Donnarumma redeems himself with a brilliant save.
“He has the header in stoppage time. What a brilliant cross from Leandro Trosard. The kind of Becks cross from the right-hand side, and he just can’t keep the header down. Those are big moments. So that’s the duality of Havertz. He gives you so much for the team, but he’s not a killer.
“And I guess [Viktor] Gyokeres is kind of the other side of the coin. You know, he is a bit more of a killer. Maybe he punishes Donnaruma in that moment.”
Is Viktor Gyokeres even a more prolific goalscorer than Kai Havertz?
As McNicholas precisely laid out, it was clear on Sunday that Havertz adds a lot more to Arsenal than Gyokeres does. He is a better target for David Raya’s long balls, can hold the ball up more effectively and is more technically secure than the Swede.
However, there is still a feeling that Gyokeres is more prolific in front of goal than the former Chelsea man. Does this point of view actually stand up to scrutiny, though?
Havertz managed five shots worth 1.25 expected goals on Sunday. In comparison, Gyokeres managed no shots in each of his previous two games against the Citizens.
Ultimately, if you aren’t effective at making yourself a presence and getting shots off, then your finishing is irrelevant. Strikers whose movement and physically aren’t at the level ultimately won’t score the volume of goals required.
Additionally, as shown by the data in the graphic above, Havertz in the 2024/25 campaign was actually on course for a much more productive campaign than Gyokeres. The Germany international had 15 non-penalty goals before his injury at the start of February, while the ex-Sporting star currently sits on 15 non-penalty goals. Food for thought.
