Coach Mikel Arteta pulled Kai Havertz back onto the pitch to receive praise and share joy with fans, after the German striker scored the only goal to help Arsenal beat Brentford 1-0 in round 13 of the Premier League.
In the 79th minute, Arteta brought Havertz on to replace Gabriel Martinelli. Ten minutes later, the German player brought victory to Arsenal. From a cross from the right wing by Bukayo Saka, Havertz rushed to the far post, headed the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Mark Flekken into the net.
This goal not only helped Arsenal take all three points, but also helped Havertz relieve some of the pressure. Before the away trip to Gtech Community Stadium, the player Arsenal bought for $82 million last summer had only scored 1 goal in 19 matches in all competitions - a statistic that caused him to be doubted and criticized.
When referee Tim Robinson blew the final whistle, Havertz did not seem to intend to head to the corner of the stands with Arsenal fans to celebrate the victory like his teammates, but instead walked towards the dressing room. But Arteta pulled his student back onto the pitch in a "necklock" position and patted the German player on the chest. The Spanish coach even pointed at Havertz to receive praise as the two men headed to the corner of the stands with away fans.
Coach Arteta grabbed Havertz by the neck and pulled him back onto the field to receive applause from Arsenal fans after the 1-0 win over Brentford in round 13 of the Premier League. Photo: AFP
Arteta's action has caused a stir on social network X. "Beautiful. Havertz is repaying Arteta's faith," one account commented. "The way Arteta brought Havertz to the fans like that is classy," another wrote.
In his post-match press conference, Arteta praised Havertz for his finishing, versatility and special qualities to play in multiple positions. When asked about the moment when he pulled his player towards the away fans, the 41-year-old coach replied: "Havertz deserved it. He faced and did not hide in difficult moments. So now enjoy the beautiful moment because Havertz deserved it. I knew Havertz would not do that so I had to push him."
Coach Arteta pointed at Havertz and called on Arsenal fans to applaud his player after the 1-0 win over Brentford in round 13 of the Premier League. Photo: AFP
Havertz, meanwhile, stressed the most important thing was to win and praised Saka for his perfect cross. "I've worked very hard to get these moments back and today I got it so I'm very, very happy," the 24-year-old said. "It's something we've also worked on a lot in training. I make a run and hope the ball goes in the right place. And it came in perfectly so I'm very happy to score."
Havertz's strike put Arsenal top of the Premier League after Man City and Liverpool drew in the early game. The Gunners now have 30 points, one and two ahead of Man City and Liverpool respectively.
"It's always good to be leading, but you have to focus on each game and the season is long with a lot of games. You need to focus on yourself, win the games and then see what happens in the end," added Havertz.
On November 29, Arsenal will return home to face Lens in the fifth round of Group B of the Champions League. Havertz and his teammates will be sure to continue as top scorers if they win three points.
Hong Duy
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