Kai Havertz told he ‘will let Arsenal down’ after “can’t hit a barn door” jibe

One of Arsenal’s newest recruits has come in for some scathing criticism after Kai Havertz was guilty of some profligate finishing during the Community Shield clash against Manchester City

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Mikel Arteta reviews the Man City game

Kai Havertz played his part in Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City, but has been blasted for his wasteful finishing at Wembley.

The Germany international started the game in a forward role, deputising for the injured Gabriel Jesus and could have netted a brace inside the first-half. Instead, however, Havertz saw both his efforts from close range saved by City shot-stopper Stefan Ortega. While his blushes were spared in the end by a shootout victory following a 1-1 draw in normal time, his finishing could be a casue for concern in the long-term.

From the moment the Gunners forked out £65million on Havertz to bring him to the Emirates from London rivals Chelsea, fans and pundits alike have questioned whether the 24-year-old has what it takes to drastically improve Mikel Arteta’s side.

One person who certainly thinks he’s not up to it is Jamie O’Hara. The former Tottenham midfielder and prominent pundit issued a brutal review of Havertz’s game following Arsenal’s Community Shield triumph.

“Kai Havertz, Arsenal fans can have their say on this, but he can’t hit a barn door,” he said on talkSPORT. “We know what he’s going to give you – he’s going to give you hold up play, he’s going to work hard, but he’s going to let you down when it comes to the crunch. And they have to sort that problem because [Gabriel] Jesus is injured. He picks up too many injuries.”

It may come as little surprise to find out that Arsenal boss Arteta strongly disagrees and actually singled Havertz out for praise after the game. The Spaniard feels the former Chelsea man was unlucky not get on the scoresheet against the reigning champions.

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Kai Havertz spurned a few chances in the first half for Arsenal (

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Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“He was superb,” Arteta explained. “The way he pressed and how intelligent he is to try and understand certain spaces and the timing of it, he was great and got in great positions to score. He was unlucky not to score but he was very physical when he needed to be, so I was very pleased with him.”

Much has been made of where Havertz will play for Arsenal and in his pre-match press conference last week, Arteta kept his cards close to his chest when pressed for comment on where he sees the £65m man lining up in future.

“He has played the majority of the minutes as an attacking midfielder but he can play on the right, he has played as a winger, coming inside as a No9, as a false No9, so we will see.

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“We are seeing a lot of things, the team gives you a lot of information every day and some connections and relationships that you didn’t expect. Sometimes you feel ‘look what is happening there’ and it is natural.

“So we have to have our eyes open to that and not just close the door to something because that is not the best thing to do.”

Havertz will be aiming to silence the critics during his debut season at the Emirates, starting with Saturday’s Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest at home.