Arteta celebrates Havertz’s clutch mentality after last-gasp Arsenal winner at Sporting
Mikel Arteta has said that Kai Havertz's impressive goal record in big games is an important thing to have in the Arsenal squad.Havertz scored a late winner as Arsenal beat Sporting CP in the first le...
Arteta celebrates Havertz’s clutch mentality after last-gasp Arsenal winner at Sporting Mikel Arteta has said that Kai Havertz 's impressive goal record in big games is an important thing to have in the Arsenal squad. Havertz scored a late winner as Arsenal beat Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night. The German came off the bench to score a stoppage time goal as Arsenal won 1-0 at The Estádio José Alvalade.
Havertz has built a reputation for finding goals in decisive moments. He scored the winner for former club Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, and also netted the decisive goal as the Blues won that year's FIFA Club World Cup. Since signing for Arsenal, he's scored big goals in wins over Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Arteta was asked about Havertz's big-game mentality and said it's important for Arsenal to have a player who has 'been part' of winning major trophies. "A lot because he's done it, as you said. He's lived it, he's been part of something and that's a really important thing to have in and around the team," Arteta said in his post-game press conference.
"And today he was ready, I could see from the disappointment the other day that he wanted to play immediately and the action of the goal, both from Gabi and him, is fabulous. " Arteta was delighted with Arsenal's performance in Portugal and said his team had a point to prove after consecutive defeats. The North Londoners face Sporting in the return leg at the Emirates next week.