“So mediocre”, “Even a blind man can see it” - Arsenal fans insist Gunners were better after replacing 24-year-old during 5-0 win over Crystal Palace

Arsenal fans on social media have slammed midfielder Kai Havertz for his display against Crystal Palace, suggesting that the team played better after his substitution.

Havertz started the Premier League game between the Gunners and Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, January 20. The 24-year-old completed 25 of his 27 passes, but recorded no key passes, chances created or shots. He also won only four of his nine duels and lost possession seven times.

Despite Havertz not putting in his best performance, Arsenal were in a comfortable position when he was replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in the 69th minute, holding a 3-0 lead. Gabriel Magalhaes gave them a 11th-minute lead before Dean Henderson's own-goal (37') and Leandro Trossard's breakaway strike (59').

While Smith Rowe also didn't create any chances during his stint on the pitch, he played his part in his side's final two goals, scored by Gabriel Martinelli.

This prompted Gooners on X (formerly Twitter) to praise the Englishman's impact while criticizing Havertz. One of them wrote:

"ESR is a better footballer than Havertz, even a blind man can see it."

Another tweeted:

"Havertz is so mediocre, he’s in the team so I'll back it but I generally don’t know what Mikel was thinking to spend that money on him, was too random"

Here are some more reactions from fans:

Havertz has received plenty of criticism since arriving from Chelsea for a reported fee of £65 million including add-ons (via The Athletic) last summer.

However, he has been a key part of their line-up and has played in 20 of Arsenal's 21 league games this term, starting 14 times. The midfielder is averaging 0.2 shots on target, 0.4 dribbles attempted, 0.8 key passes, 1.1 tackles, 3.3 recoveries and 4.4 duels won per match.

Smith Rowe, meanwhile, has been plagued by injuries of late, with Saturday's game marking only his seventh Premier League appearance of the season. In his limited playing time, he is averaging 0.7 shots on target, 0.2 dribbles attempted, 0.1 key passes, 0.3 tackles, 1.4 recoveries and 1.0 duels won per game.

---

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praises players, set-piece coaches after win over Crystal Palace

After scoring just twice despite taking 74 shots (18 on target) in their previous four matches across competitions, Arsenal finally broke loose with five goals on Saturday.

There will be a few concerns as they hit the target with only six of their 21 shots against Crystal Palace. However, on a more positive note, the Gunners looked threatening from set-pieces, with their first two goals coming from corners.

This prompted Mikel Arteta to praise his staff and he also lauded the players for their efforts. He said (as quoted by Arsenal's official website):

“Credit to all the coaches, to Nico [Jover, set-piece coach] for the amount of time and belief we put in. It’s got a huge impact - we’ve seen that as well in recent games that we’ve lost when we’ve conceded set-pieces, so the outcome is very different when you don’t concede and score.

“We wanted to start the second part of the season with a great performance, with a great result, and build that positivity and momentum again, and I think the boys did a good job today.”

The win over Palace lifted Arsenal to third place in the Premier League with 43 points from 21 matches, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference. Next up, Arteta's men will visit Nottingham Forest in the league on January 30.