Our tactics writer Aidan Smith, from Tactically Speaking, talks about Kai Havertz’s new role at Arsenal, and explains how Germany can benefit from it at Euro 2024.
The open secret for judging strikers is that they cannot get away with not scoring goals, no matter how well they’re playing. Regardless of a player’s best position, if they appear as the No.9 on the team sheet, they’re expected to score. The biggest victim of this? Kai Havertz.
Havertz is a false-9, or a pseudo-striker, or a hyper-attacking midfielder, or a No.9½. The truth is, no one really knows, but he’s not a striker in the traditional sense. He’s also not a natural midfielder. Most fans would get frustrated with a player like Kai Havertz on their team, but most managers would love it.
Nobody is suggesting Havertz should get away with not scoring goals, but he mustn’t be held to the standards of a target man striker. Arsenal are finally getting the most out of Havertz, and Germany should use it to their advantage at Euro 2024.
Arsenal’s 2024 has been near-immaculate, with just one draw and one loss in the league. Their new system almost has no name or distinguishable features, other than the fact it consists of two false-9s in Havertz and Martin Ødegaard. It looks like a 4-4-2, but with a midfield box instead of two strikers.
Havertz’s role is to drift and float, coming short to help the team with build-up play, and arriving late in the box to pose a goal threat — all the while dragging opposition players out of position. Excellent on the half-turn, Havertz can receive the ball with his back to goal, and still fashion a dangerous attack or two.
Germany have a similar profile of player to Arsenal in most positions. Fast and wide wingers, athletic, skillful midfield creators, and no obvious striking option. Havertz will do well to use his spatial understanding to distract and trick opposing defenders.
Mikel Arteta has also reaped the benefits of using Havertz as a loan forward in a 3-box-3 shape. This is the shape Arsenal have used most often since the start of the 2022/2023 campaign. Their signature move to bypass a press is to play from the middle-centre-back straight to the striker (who comes short to receive it), carving their opponents open with a single pass. Havertz has taken to this tactic in no time, and rare is a day that Arsenal can’t enjoy playing that pass.
Perhaps something Germany could look at installing in time for the Euros, this is yet another reason to start Havertz over less adaptable players such as Niclas Füllkrug.
The final feature of Arsenal’s game to suit Havertz is their use of the cutback cross. Arsenal’s wingers relish any chance to dart in behind defences, and with Havertz arriving later than most strikers into the box, cutbacks have been fruitful for the Gunners since Christmas.
Germany have a wonderful combination of terrific passers and pacey wingers, so getting in behind will likely be one of their preferred tactics. Lending itself to cutbacks, this style of play would undoubtedly get the best out of Havertz just like Arsenal have managed to do.
Aidan is a football writer whose work on
tactics can be found at TacticallySpeaking
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