'Havertz has got such a calmness about him'
[Getty Images] Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson said Kai Havertz's introduction "changed the game" for the Gunners in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Sporting in Lisbon. The second-half substitute poked the ball past Rui Silva late on to give the Premier League leaders a narrow advantage going into next week's second leg at Emirates Stadium. The pressure was on Mikel Arteta's side going into the game after they suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season, losing in the Carabao Cup final and then exiting the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.
"Kai Havertz has scored so many important goals for Arsenal," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "Him coming on changed the game, and Arteta switching the wide players did as well. It was a good decision and he's done that a few times with good results.
"Havertz has just got such a calmness about him. He's got quite a languid style anyway, and then first touch and composure to calm himself - he made it look easy. "The finish he stroked into the bottom corner with his left foot so calmly.
He ghosts into those areas late, nicely on the edge of the 18-yard box. He just sees that little space and holds his run. He doesn't go in too early and then is in there at the right time.
"The ball from Gabriel Martinelli was great, so it all kind of came together there for Mikel Arteta. Arsenal had the foundation and the basis of a really good performance, it was just missing that final little piece. "Havertz found that for them right at the end of the game so it became a top away European performance and result really.