Kai Havertz may have moved ahead of Leandro Trossard in battle for one spot in best Arsenal team

Kai Havertz may have reclaimed his status as the number one option in the 'left 8' role of Arsenal's midfield after scoring the winner against Brentford.

A position vacated by Granit Xhaka following his £21.5million move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, eyebrows were certainly raised when Gunners splashed £65million to recruit the aforementioned Germany international as a replacement considering he predominately operated as a striker for Chelsea.

Nevertheless, despite leading the line against Manchester City in the Community Shield, Havertz began the season in Arsenal's engine room alongside fellow summer signing Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard in what many observers considered Mikel Arteta's best midfield trio when everyone is fit and available for selection.

However, since after the September international break, the 24-year-old has not been assured of a starting place for one reason or another. In fact, he was a substitute in the Premier League meeting against Man City and on his first return to Stamford Bridge as Rice was deployed slightly higher with Jorginho offering extra defensive protection.

There was a brief period when Fabio Vieira was putting forward a strong case to be the alternative to Havertz as the playmaker provided game-changing contributions as a substitute against both Fulham and Manchester United. Interestingly his selection in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur did seem to indicate he was the first-choice option but he's not started a Premier League game since and is currently suspended.

Meanwhile, Emile Smith Rowe suffered a knee injury whilst operating as the left-sided '8' alongside Havertz in the 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last month. Even with