Kai Havertz scored a penalty in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The goal was Havertz’s first for the Gunners, and manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the Germany international following the match. Here’s everything Arteta had to say, via Arsenal.com.
On Kai Havertz scoring the penalty vs Bournemouth and celebrations with the team…
“I am really happy for the win but even happier to be part of something, part of a team that shows the human qualities that they have shown today, without me telling them absolutely nothing to show that and that empathy towards a player that has some question marks to resolve externally, they won me even more today, they’ve done in a really natural way.
“I am delighted they have made that decision, I’m so thankful to our supporters for the way they sang his name, have made him feel the way he has felt today and if there’s a person in a dressing room that deserves that, it’s Kai Havertz. So happy for him.”
On what the goal will do for Kai’s confidence…
“It will probably change everything, but first of all if he had any question marks about how we feel about him, how much we love him, how much we appreciate everything that he does, I think that’s out.
“I think in sport, Usain Bolt said it once, I have to train for four years to run nine seconds, sometimes you have to do a lot and you don’t see that, but in that moment you see it.
“I’m sure what he’s been through in the last few weeks, this moment is worth every moment of the other moments.”
On whether Kai Havertz needed that moment today…
“We have all tried to give him support and the right tools to do what he has to do, he’s doing so many great things in the game, it was about that moment, that was the question that had to be resolved, and today’s he’s done it and to show that level of empathy and understanding and worrying and caring for somebody, it’s just great.”
On what he thinks of the criticism aimed at Kai Havertz…
“I don’t know, I am not here to evaluate, what I can tell you is what I see every single day, what we all see every single day his level of commitment, desire, attitude, understanding, and quality is top, and he has to come out in every way, he’s coming in many different ways, he has to come today in a way where he puts the ball in the back of the net.”