Arsenal have scored 21 goals this season, and there will be many more of those to come in the following months, but it is hard to believe that any of them will be celebrated quite as joyously as their third against Bournemouth.
For players and supporters alike, Kai Havertz’s first goal for his new club was the clear highlight of this stroll past Bournemouth. These have been challenging times for the German, who has struggled since his £65-million move from Chelsea, and it seemed as if a weight had been lifted from the moment he converted his second-half penalty.
The fact that Havertz even took the spot-kick, won by Martin Odegaard, was an indication of the significance of the moment. Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have rotated penalty-taking duties this season but, with Mikel Arteta’s team two goals ahead, it was decided that this opportunity should be given to Havertz.
Were there any nerves? There must have been, given the criticism that Havertz has received since he became an Arsenal player this summer. His finish was cool, though, and the celebration spoke volumes: Havertz was mobbed by every one of his team-mates and then shoved towards the away fans, to receive their acclaim.
From there, the afternoon had a new soundtrack: a fresh chant for Havertz, to the tune of Shakira’s ‘Waka Waka’, which was sung on loop for the remainder of the match. “Sixty million down the drain,” the away fans chanted ironically. “Kai Havertz scores again.”
Havertz was joined on the scoresheet by Saka, Odegaard and Ben White, all of whom sparkled against a Bournemouth side who played into Arsenal’s hands. It is certainly brave to try to press this Arsenal team, but it can also be foolish. Andoni Iraola’s side are yet to win this season and they were repeatedly chasing shadows against opponents that were too slick and too fast for them to handle.
Iraola and Arteta played for the same team as children in the Basque Country but this was not a happy reunion for the Bournemouth head coach. His team had energy but they lacked efficiency, composure and any attacking class. Ryan Christie’s challenge on Odegaard, which gave Havertz his chance from the spot, was bordering on moronic.
For Arsenal the only concern was another knock to Saka, who once again limped out of the action. The winger keeps delivering in the final third, but he also keeps getting battered by his opponents. His powers of recovery are remarkable, yet they are certainly being tested.
