Kai Havertz emulates Robin van Persie as Mikel Arteta reveals what's changed for Arsenal star

This time last year, Kai Havertz was being derided as a £65m waste of money when he managed only one bullseye in his first 19 appearances for the Gunners - but he's been in stunning form this season

It's the finest magnificent seven since Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and Co rode into town.

Kai Havertz has scored in seven consecutive home games for Arsenal, the first player to do so since Robin van Persie in 2012. This time last year, the German ace who swapped Chelsea for North London was being derided as a £65m waste of money when he managed only one bullseye in his first 19 appearances for the Gunners.

But nobody is dissing him now after his strike cancelled out Cameron Archer’s opener. The ugly duckling who was not a perfect fit as centre-forward, No.10 or midfield auxiliary at first is a majestic swan these days – wherever manager Mikel Arteta asks him to play.

As Arsenal became only the second Premier League club (behind Manchester United ) to clock up 400 home wins, Havertz launched the comeback which left the Gunners breathing down leaders Liverpool ’s necks like Count Dracula sizing up his next freelance blood transfusion. And he is not a flat-track bully who piles in when the going is easy.

Five of those seven goals have been equalisers or have put ­Arsenal in front. Fellow goalscorer Gabriel Martinelli was left in awe of his team-mate’s transformation after winless Southampton ’s commendable ­resistance was eventually slapped down.

Martinelli, whose second goal in three games put Arteta’s side 2-1 up before Bukayo Saka sealed the points, said: “He’s been brilliant recently. He’s a nice guy off the pitch as well, everyone is really happy with his performances and we’re really happy to have him here.

“He can play anywhere and he’s always around the box and scoring goals. Even when he doesn’t score, he’s helping us with long balls and the duels.” Arteta warned there is more to come from his in-form top scorer, saying: “Kai is working hard every day because he wants more.

“He’s not satisfied. There is still another level from him. He’s surrounded by incredible players but something has changed in him. You can really sense that confidence in his game.”

Although their siege of former goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale ’s goal yielded 65 touches in the opposition box to Southampton’s eight, the Gunners were made to work hard before extending their impressive home record against promoted teams. Of the last 41 sides who have visited the Emirates after climbing through the Championship skylight, 36 have been beaten while the other five absconded with a point.

Martinelli added: “We are never going to give up in any game, no matter what the score, because we know what we are fighting for and we will do our best to the final whistle. We tried really hard to win this one and we’re really happy how we did it in the end.”

Make no mistake, this is a fixture where Arsenal might have dropped points in the past. A 2-2 draw with Saints proved to be virtually the last straw of Unai Emery ’s ill-fated reign in 2019, and the nightmares of a madcap 3-3 draw 18 months ago, which effectively turned Arsenal’s faltering title challenge to rubble, have yet to evaporate.

But there is something about Arteta – 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, the longest unblemished run on his watch – and Arsenal’s collective strength this season which suggests they are the real deal this time.

Their next home league game is the acid test – Liverpool. You don’t normally get title deciders in October but on the weekend the clocks go back an hour, we could be turning the dial back to 2004, when the Gunners last wore the crown. We can’t wait to play in these games,” said Martinelli. “We’ll be ready for them.”

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