Harry Kane may have met his match as he prepares to attempt to lead Bayern Munich past old rivals Arsenal in the Champions League.
Kane returns to north London on Tuesday evening, live on talkSPORT, as the hero of Bayern Munich, scoring 38 goals in his first 36 matches for the German giants.
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With ten goals in their last eight games, Arsenal’s nemesis for so many years couldn’t be more ready to create new headaches and new titles.
But here’s a thought…
Will he at least be the best center forward on the pitch in this enticing UEFA Champions League quarter-final?
Have you seen Kai Havertz recently? Wow, talk about a reborn player.
Return it
Hammered by so many earlier this season for his lethargic debut in Arsenal colors (and even deployed at left back by German head coach Julian Nagelsmann during the November international break), No.29 of the Gunners proved a lot of people wrong.
Now firmly established as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice striker, inspiring a run of victories with goals, assists and talismanic forward play, there is an argument to suggest that Thomas Tuchel will worry more about Havertz than the hosts are not for Kane.
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The current form record, which has seen the 24-year-old produce five goals and four assists in his last nine appearances, makes it hard to believe he received a ‘mercy penalty’ in September at Bournemouth.
Two late, fearless winners against Brentford turned two points into six, and for a long period now his overall performance levels have been truly exceptional.
Most read in the Champions League
All the talk of Mikel Arteta ‘desperately needing a new striker’ has been put to rest.
Magical movement
Bayern Munich central defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Eric Dier will need maximum concentration in front of more than 60,000 screaming Arsenal fans on Tuesday evening.
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Havertz has always been an expert space researcher – someone who sees the holes early and makes brilliant runs at them – and this element of his skills has emerged in 2024.
Playing for a team that suits him far better than Chelsea, surrounded by players who now understand the value he brings, the great leader revels in Arteta’s free-flowing style of play.
On the face of it, his goals against Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United were scoring goals, but his runs in the build-up were as natural as those Kane, or other elite strikers, would make.
His first burst was in front of his marker each time, before racing around them at pace, to get on the end of low crosses.
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Perpetual motion
Three players still lead the way for the Gunners when it comes to distance covered. The first two names will surprise no one, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, but the trio, week in week out, is Havertz.
His body language doesn’t always scream eagerness, but the former Bayer Leverkusen prodigy is a very deceptive grafter, regularly covering more than 11km every 90 minutes.
Many of his runs are without the ball, and eight times out of ten he doesn’t receive a pass.
Yet he is a striker who will continue to make those sprints, and in recent months he has benefited from so many of Arsenal’s excellent moves because of it.
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At Brighton last weekend he made far more runs without possession than anyone else.
Havertz’s fine form at Brighton
Runs without the ball against Brighton
Kai Havertz 25
Ben White 19
Bukayo Saka14
Declan Rice 13
Martin Odegaard13
Pressure against Brighton
Martin Odegaard 45
Kai Havertz 29
Declan Rice 11
Gabriel Martinelli11
Leon Trossard 11
Acting as the first line of defense alongside Odegaard, the ex-Chelsea man also presses with enthusiasm.
He’s created plenty of chances by causing turnovers, and against Bayern you can bet your last Euro that he’ll close down Tuchel’s defenders with conviction.
Arteta trained him well as a team player.
The all-rounder
One of the main differences between ‘this Arsenal’ and some of their previous teams is their ability to play in different ways, whether from game to game or within the same game.
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Havertz, built like a target man, strong in the air, as technical as any number 10, as hardworking as your fittest central midfielder, capable of scoring and defending, is a versatile talent who provides part of this supplement to his manager. tactical armory.
For example, if there is a moment in Tuesday night’s game where Arsenal need to go long from back to front to avoid Bayern’s press, the Germany international provides that outlet.
Depending on the state of the game, he can stretch them by running the channels or stifle them by dropping back to become a false nine in a lower block.
If plan A doesn’t work, Arteta also has the option of sliding Gabriel Jesus or Leandro Trossard into the forward spot and deploying Havertz in a deeper role instead.
Made for these nights
What I said at the start of this article was a bit ironic if I’m honest, of course Kane is the most elite striker present.
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However, when it comes to the value they currently add to their respective teams, I’m not kidding when I say Havertz and Kane are difficult to separate.
It was a revelation. Scoring a winning goal in the UEFA Champions League final for him, Tuchel knows everything about Havertz and what motivates him.
It’s a slight worry in some ways, but for me he’s playing at a much higher level now than he ever did at Stamford Bridge.
He loves the big stage and certainly enjoys playing for “The Arsenal” more than a Chelsea team, who never really knew what to do with him.
Much of the pre-match attention will be on Kane and how he can hurt his old enemies; and his incredible record means he is absolutely good enough to do just that if Arsenal drop their standards or make mistakes.
I think, however, that Bayern Munich will be just as worried about Arteta’s frontman influence at the Emirates Stadium.
Ahead of their biggest European night in over a decade, it’s clear the £65 million Arsenal spent on Havertz has not gone to waste.
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