"He has never given up" - Emmanuel Petit praises Arsenal star for proving critics wrong 

Emmanuel Petit has hailed Arsenal star Kai Havertz for his impressive performances despite the criticism he received initially. He believes the German has deservedly earned the appreciation of the club's fanbase.

Havertz arrived at the Emirates last summer from Chelsea in a reported £65 million move. The versatile forward struggled to justify his price tag initially before coming into his own.

He turned things around with his performances during the 2023-24 campaign, playing a key role in Arsenal's Premier League title challenge. The former Bayer Leverkusen star racked up 14 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.

Speaking to Gambling Zone, Petit heaped praise on Havertz, saying (via Metro):

"One thing I can say about Kai Havertz, is he has never given up. When he arrived at Arsenal, he had criticism from former players, pundits, fans and the media. Mikel Arteta has given him the confidence to play well, even when he was not performing well he would be on the pitch."

"The pressure on Havertz’s shoulders has been taken away, the love and respect from his teammates have been very important for a player like him, he can be very sensitive."

He added:

"At Chelsea, Havertz was clearly affected and he needed a positive environment. His teammates have the confidence to give him the ball throughout a game, at Chelsea, the team didn’t play fluidly so it stopped him getting on the ball."

"I don’t think he’s been amazing for Arsenal, but he has certainly improved and is playing with confidence now, and that says a lot about Arteta."

Kai Havertz has recorded a goal and an assist in two Premier League games for the Gunners this term.

Emmanuel Petit advises Arsenal to sign a '20-goals-per-season' striker

While lauding Havertz for his tenacity, Petit remains convinced that the Gunners need to sign a prolific striker. The Frenchman believes Mikel Arteta's side need a goalscoring No. 9 to boost their chances of defeating Manchester City in the title race.

He told the aforementioned publication:

"Arsenal need a 20-goals-per-season striker, they currently have a few players who can score 10-15 goals per season, like how Man City used to be. Pep Guardiola changed the system because he knew he needed a striker who could score lots of goals. In Erling Haaland’s first season, he broke goal-scoring records and won the Champions League."

Petit was then asked which forwards the Gunners must pursue before the transfer deadline arrives. The pundit named Spain star Nico Williams, who shone at the Euro 2024, and Brentford's Ivan Toney, whom the club have been linked with for some time now.

He believes the two forwards could potentially replicate Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland's output. Petit added:

"I think Nico Williams or someone like Ivan Toney could replicate Haaland’s output at Arsenal."

The Gunners are third in the Premier League table, level on points with league-leaders Manchester City and second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.