Mikel Arteta was pleased with the ’empathy’ his Arsenal side showed after Kai Havertz was allowed to take a spot-kick to score his first goal for the club at Bournemouth.
Arsenal eased to a 4-0 win on the south coast as the Gunners maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with a comfortable win over the Cherries.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for Arsenal, before Martin Odegaard converted a penalty to put the north Londoners in control. Arsenal were awarded a second spot-kick, one which Kai Havertz stepped up to score his first goal for the club.
The German has faced criticism since his summer arrival from Chelsea and Arteta was delighted with the ‘human qualities’ shown from his squad.
“I’m really happy for the win, but I’m even happier to be part of a team that shows the human qualities that they did today,” Arteta said at his post-match press conference.
“Without me telling them nothing, to show that empathy to a player that has some question marks to resolve externally, they warmed me even more today.
“They’ve done it in a really natural way. I’m delighted they made that decision. And so thankful as well to our supporters for the way they sung his name and made him feel today. If there’s a player who deserves that it’s Kai Havertz so so happy for him.”
On what the goal will do for Havertz’s confidence, Arteta added: “Probably it will change everything. If he had any question marks about how we feel about him, about what he does, I think they are out.
“I think in sport – Usain Bolt said it once – ‘I have to train four years to run nine seconds’. Sometimes you have to do a lot and you don’t see that. In that moment you see it. I think after everything he’s been through in the last few weeks that moment is worth all of it, so really happy for him.”
