Arsenal might be sitting top of the Premier League table with 17 games left holding a commanding lead, but there remains an underlying feeling that something has been missing.
It would be unfair to suggest Mikel Arteta’s side have bullied or even limped their way into this position. There has, after all, been much to admire about David Raya’s near faultless goalkeeping, Jurrien Timber developing into the division’s best right-back and Martin Zubimendi rapidly solidifying his status as the signing of the summer.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice, meanwhile, have both already made significant claims to be crowned Footballer of the Year, while comprehensive wins over Atletico Madrid,Bayern Munich and Aston Villa have hinted at what the Arsenal machine is capable of when it is firing on all cylinders.
Despite £150m having been spent on attacking reinforcements during the close season, however, Arsenal’s attack is still some way from functioning in the way you would imagine an elite team’s should.
Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have shown glimpses of what they can add to this team, but they’re both essentially understudies at present and have spent time on Arteta’s naughty step in recent weeks.
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Arsenal remain overly reliant on Bukayo Saka for attacking inspiration and while their mastery of set-pieces has helped drag them to this point, they really need to diversify and not lean as heavily on Declan Rice’s laser-guided deliveries as they have.
To that end, the return of Kai Havertz in Sunday’s FA Cup third round win over Portsmouth could prove significant. Viktor Gyokeres’ has retained the public backing of Arteta, but his manager’s effusive praise which followed the Germany international’s cameo at Fratton Park spoke volumes as to the plan of action from now until May.
‘The last few minutes, I was just watching him move and his awareness, the way he needs to move, when he needs to move in relation to where he moves, it’s just a joy to watch,’purred Arteta when ask for his response to Havertz’s first appearance since the opening day of the season.
‘We’ve missed him big time; he’s back with us, and now we need to maintain him on the field because he’s a very important player for us.’
Given how important rotations and versatility are to Arsenal’s football when they are at their best, it’s no wonder Arteta is so delighted to have a player, who became something of a personal project of his, back at such a crucial juncture.
Gyokeres, despite having been given a multitude of opportunities and unequivocal backing, has looked totally loss since his return from injury at the end of November.
His 10 subsequent appearances have yielded just a single goal, albeit a decisive, matchwinning penalty against Everton, while he hasn’t found the back of the net from open play in the Premier League since September.
Confidence levels are dipping at an alarming rate to the extent whereby Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate appeared content to let the former Sporting Lisbon start occupy whatever area of the pitch he fancied during last week’s stalemate against Liverpool, safe in the knowledge he was incapable of offering any sort of goalscoring threat.
Nine touches overall and just one in the fifteen minutes of the second half he featured in before he was replaced told its own pitiful story.
Richard Keys, in his typically forthright way, opined last week that some Arsenal fans had already given up on Gyokeres and were willing him to fail. That might be a stretch, but the 27-year-old is giving little or no reason to suggest their is cause for optimism.
By contrast, and even though it was against a Portsmouth side whose spirit had already been broken, Havertz’s comeback felt like a significant movement.
Who will score more goals for Arsenal this season
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Kai Havertz
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Viktor Gyokeres
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Gabriel Jesus
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Mikel Merino
It’s a sign of how little Gyokeres is producing right now, but the fact Havertz touched the ball inside the penalty area on four occasions and managed to get a shot on goal felt like progress, while the way he dropped deep to receive a pass in space, before threading a ball inside the full-back for Madueke to gallop onto represented the sort of link play his struggling teammate, even in peak form, would struggle to provide.
‘It’s a special feeling, it’s amazing for myself,’ said Havertz after his encouraging return to competitive action.
‘I’m just happy to be back with the boys and I hope I can help them as much as possible now.
‘I think the way the boys have played the last couple of months, it was so nice even to watch from the outside, even though it’s always very hard to be in a situation like this.
‘But just to watch them was amazing and I’m very happy to be with them now.’
Given his selfless attitude and ability to bring out the best in those around him, the feeling is undoubtedly mutual.
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