Arsenal, after a winning start in the Premier League in both matches, will play London rivals Chelsea at home on Sunday. As Arsenal prepare to lock horns with Chelsea in a blockbuster London derby, all eyes turn to Kai as he faces his former club in a key attacking role. Speaking on JioHotstar, Havertz opened up about his challenging early days at Stamford Bridge during COVID, his tactical rebirth as a commanding number nine at Arsenal, and the gruelling set-piece drills that fuelled Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign.
Germany and Arsenal striker Kai Havertz reflected on his learning in England ahead of the Premier League clash against London rivals Chelsea, saying that after spending six years in the Premier League, he would not change anything he has done and London is his “home” as the country has made him the person he is today.
Speaking on his transition from an attacking midfielder to striker as a part of Arsenal, a club with which he won the Premier League, he said that the role change taught him a lot and he started using his body better in the box as he learnt how to hold off defenders and be in the right positions to score. We scored so many goals from set pieces last season, and that was a major reason why we lifted the Premier League trophy,” he signed off. Kai feels that the Premier League is the best club competition in the world, saying that the level of competition is really great here and any team can beat anyone, making it extremely important for the players to be at their best every game. “A footballer’s career is short, so I want to make the most of it. The level here is incredible, any team can beat anyone, and you must be at your best every single game. Doing that every three days makes it even tougher. Over the last six years, I have seen the league get stronger each season. Clubs are spending more, signing better players, and the quality keeps rising. But that’s exactly what you want as a professional: to compete at the highest level against the best players,” he added. “I started off more as a midfielder for Arsenal, but over time I moved into a number nine role. That change taught me a lot, especially how to use my body better in the box. I’m a big guy, and I need to make that count. I had to learn how to hold off defenders, win aerial duels, and be in the right positions to score. It took time, but I feel comfortable in that role now. At the same time, set pieces have become a huge part of our game. We treat them like penalties, every time we get one, we feel like we can score. We work on them tirelessly in training, and it shows in matches.
Because it is the best league in the world, i want to play as many games as possible and keep improving, and that is why I came to the Premier League. Kai walked out of Chelsea with a UEFA Champions League title in 2020-21 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021 as his biggest accolades.
