What lies behind Kai Havertz's loss of form

Arsenal learned a clear lesson at Anfield last season. They need a clinical striker who can open up games. Bukayo Saka has been out of action for more than a month, and Noni Madueke's injury is still ongoing. Max Dowman, meanwhile, will serve the first match of a three-game suspension for a red card.

The easiest explanation for Kai Havertz's decline this season seems to be injury. However, Arteta rejects this, and he appears justified in doing so. Havertz has failed to score in his last six matches and has provided one assist. He had seven shots in the Fleetwood match and recorded an expected goals figure of 0.72, but he could not produce the impact the team needed.

His brilliant spell at Arsenal should not be forgotten either. The Germany international recorded 18 goals and 9 assists in 37 Premier League matches. In the Champions League final in May, he tested the opposing defence for an hour in the PSG shirt.

The most striking statistic, however, is his offside count. Havertz has been caught offside 10 times this season, and he is well ahead of everyone else in the Premier League in this respect. In previous seasons, he was falling into an offside position less than once every 90 minutes. Arteta, for his part, has accepted that the player's rhythm is not fully in sync with his own game or with his teammates.