When Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon, much of the attention will fall on the tactical battle between Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso. But one player could be particularly important in deciding it.
Kai Havertz knows Chelsea better than most.
The German spent three years at Stamford Bridge before crossing London to join Arsenal, and has since developed into one of the most tactically important players in Arteta’s attack.
Havertz has started both Premier League games this season and already opened his account during the 3-0 victory over Coventry City. His current numbers can be followed through our permanent Kai Havertz Arsenal player profile.
Against a Chelsea side still developing its defensive identity under Alonso, Havertz’s movement could become one of Arsenal’s most effective weapons.
Havertz can pull Chelsea’s back three apart
Havertz is not a conventional penalty-box striker.
That is precisely why this matchup could suit him.
Instead of permanently occupying Chelsea’s central defender, he can drop away from the defensive line, receive between midfield and defence and force somebody to decide whether to follow.
Havertz has previously explained that some of his movements can appear to achieve very little on the surface, when in reality they are designed to manipulate defenders and create space elsewhere.
Chelsea could encounter exactly that problem at the Emirates.
If a centre-back follows Havertz into midfield, Arsenal suddenly have space behind for Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze or Martin Ødegaard to attack.
If Chelsea’s defender stays in position, Havertz can receive facing goal and connect Arsenal’s midfield with the final third.
That movement fits naturally within the positional principles explained in our permanent Arsenal tactics guide.
Arteta wants players to create favourable overloads rather than remain fixed in one area.
Few Arsenal forwards interpret those spaces as naturally as Havertz.
Saka and Eze can benefit from Havertz movement
Havertz does not necessarily have to touch the ball to influence an attack.
That becomes particularly important if Arteta starts Eze on the left.
Eze likes to drift towards central areas.
Ødegaard does the same from the right.
Saka can either stay wide or attack the space between full-back and centre-back.
Havertz moving away from Chelsea’s defensive line can therefore trigger several rotations at once.
A centre-back following him creates a channel for Saka.
A midfielder dropping towards Havertz can give Ødegaard more room.
Chelsea narrowing around the German can isolate Eze against a defender.
That is why Havertz can become more valuable than his individual shot or touch numbers suggest.
Arteta’s selection decision on the opposite side of the attack has already been examined in our Arsenal predicted XI against Chelsea, with Eze pushing Christos Tzolis strongly for a starting place.
Havertz could help make either option more dangerous.
Havertz remains crucial to Arsenal’s press
His importance goes beyond possession.
The Arsenal tactics guide explains how Arteta’s defensive structure begins with aggressive pressure from the front.
Havertz is central to it.
Rather than sprinting directly towards the nearest centre-back, Arsenal’s forwards try to shape where the opposition can pass.
Havertz can curve his press to block a central route while directing possession towards one side of the pitch.
Ødegaard, Rice and Arsenal’s wide players can then compress the available space.
That could be particularly useful against Chelsea.
Alonso’s side have shown they are comfortable attacking directly and quickly once space becomes available. Arsenal therefore cannot afford to allow easy central progression from defence into Cole Palmer or Morgan Rogers.
The full tactical contrast is examined in our Arsenal vs Chelsea preview.
Havertz can help Arsenal make sure Chelsea’s attacks begin where Arteta wants them to.
Arsenal also have a direct escape route
Chelsea may attempt to disrupt Arsenal’s usual short build-up.
Havertz gives David Raya another solution.
At 193cm, the German provides Arsenal with a significant aerial target capable of competing for direct passes and bringing teammates into play.
The important moment often comes immediately afterwards.
Rice and Ødegaard can position themselves around Havertz to attack second balls, allowing Arsenal to bypass Chelsea’s initial pressure without simply surrendering possession.
That can quickly change the geography of the game.
Instead of taking risks around their own penalty area, Arsenal can contest possession 30 or 40 yards further forward.
Havertz can then turn an opposition press into Arsenal territory.
Why Havertz could suit Chelsea more than Gyökeres
Viktor Gyökeres gives Arteta a very different option.
The summer signing offers power, direct running and a natural desire to attack space behind a defensive line.
There will be matches where that profile becomes invaluable.
Chelsea may demand something different.
Alonso’s defensive system can shift between structures depending on the phase of play, while Arsenal are likely to spend significant periods trying to establish possession around Chelsea’s defensive block.
Havertz’s experience connecting midfield and attack could therefore give Arteta greater control.
That does not make him universally superior to Gyökeres.
It makes him potentially better suited to this particular tactical problem.
The competition illustrates the depth now available inside the permanent Arsenal squad.
Arteta does not simply have two strikers competing for the same job.
He has two different profiles capable of changing how Arsenal attack.
Chelsea history adds another layer
Then there is the obvious narrative.
Havertz’s relationship with Chelsea will always be defined by one night in Porto.
He scored the only goal as Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the 2021 Champions League final, becoming the player who delivered their second European Cup. Chelsea’s own retrospective describes it as the most significant goal of his time at the club.
Six years after arriving in England, Havertz now regards London as home.
Speaking before this weekend’s derby, he reflected on the difficult adjustment he initially experienced after joining Chelsea during the pandemic and said those challenges ultimately helped him develop as both a footballer and a person.
His career has moved on considerably since then.
Chelsea are now the opposition.
Arsenal are attempting to retain the Premier League title.
Supporters can track every game in that defence through our permanent Arsenal fixtures and results hub.
And after winning the championship last season, Arsenal’s place in the club’s wider history is now reflected in our permanent Arsenal trophies and honours guide.
Havertz can make the difference without dominating the headlines
Saka may provide the decisive finish.
Eze could produce the moment of creativity.
Ødegaard may control possession.
But Havertz can help create the conditions in which all three become more dangerous.
His movement can manipulate Chelsea’s centre-backs.
His pressing can help Arsenal dictate where Alonso’s side build.
His aerial presence gives Raya a direct option when Chelsea commit bodies forward.
And his ability to connect midfield with attack offers Arteta a level of control that could prove invaluable in the first major test of Arsenal’s title defence.
Havertz once delivered one of Chelsea’s greatest European moments.
This afternoon, his job is to make their return to the Emirates as uncomfortable as possible.
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