Arsenal sent clear $44m message after Mikel Arteta transfer decision

Mikel Arteta's call is starting to pay off. It comes with inconsistency and uncertainty but the impact is being felt. His ace in the pack is working, just about, but in a way different to how most imagined.

A 'silky German' as Chelsea fans labelled Kai Havertz following the Champions League win in 2021, has not been an apt description for much of his time in England. 'Slightly odd German with a lot of averageness but pretty good heading' doesn't ring quite as nicely in a chant though.

For Arteta it really doesn't matter because for now at least he has found a role for Havertz.Somewhat bizzarely it is more akin to a Peter Crouch-like positional demand than that of Michael Ballack, Zinedine Zidane or Dennis Bergkamp, all players he has been compared to in the past.

Against Brentford Arteta turned to Havertz with Gabriel Jesus coming back from another lengthy period out. The pair, small and tall, silky and often clumsy, are diametrically opposed with movement, output and fit for Arsenal. The fact that Havertz was actually left on the bench until 10 minutes from the end, 15 minutes after Jesus had left the field, tells its own story. For all the control that his Spanish boss likes to have this was evidence above all that the industrial approach was needed.

Havertz is no longer seen as the impact player to break open a defence with a ghosting run, that was actually Eddie Nketiah's role more than anything. Instead the 24-year-old is a big man to get the ball up to. Get to it he did, scoring a first open play goal for the club having arrived in the summer for over £60million ($75m). A potentially huge moment for Havertz but just as likely a flash in the pan.

It has been eight months since he last scored a league goal with his feet