Mikel Arteta hailed Kai Havertz, who continued his impressive form as he scored one goal and assisted on another for Arsenal in their 3-0 victory over Brighton.

The manager of Arsenal, Mikkel Arteta, has acknowledged that he was forced to select Kai Havertz as their No. 9 due to his “superb” play.

Havertz scored a goal and assisted on another as the Gunners defeated Brighton 3-0 to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League. Now, in his last seven Premier League games, the German has five goals and four assists. During that time, only Cole Palmer (11) has directly contributed to more goals.

The 24-year-old began his Arsenal career playing in the No. 8 spot alongside Martin Odegaard after joining the Gunners for £65 million in June 2023 from Chelsea. However, Arteta has chosen to continue with him up front after he made an impression as the primary forward in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool in February.

In response to the question of whether Havertz could no longer play as the striker, Arteta said, “Yes.” The players frequently choose where they must play. Even if you may have specific ideas, it all makes sense when you consider the relationships. You have to release it when it flows.

“Kai is currently experiencing that, and he feels extremely at ease there. The rest has come organically, and the team is extremely at ease having him around.

“He’s undoubtedly having a major influence on the group. His recent goal contribution figures are really high, and his overall performances have been excellent.”

Havertz’s season-long total of nine Premier League goals is his highest since relocating to England in 2020. Arteta has cautioned the former Bayer Leverkusen forward that he needs to continue his hot streak going into their final games, even though he has been playing well.

“He must continue that,” Arteta said. “I believe he had excellent communication skills with the attacking players. They seemed to have a genuine goal and connection, and they knew just where to launch an attack. We also generated a lot of opportunities.

“He’s surrounded by some incredible players, and we’ve worked hard to provide him with the kind of environment that will hopefully make him feel loved and confident—something I believe is crucial for any athlete. The other players and staff at the club, as well as our supporters right now, genuinely admire him.”

Before a ball was kicked at the Amex, Arsenal was third in the Premier League, while Manchester City had moved up to second after winning 4-2 at Crystal Palace. But Arteta’s team turned in a polished performance to win their 10th game in 11 and reclaim the top spot.

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