Up to now, no coach has been able to give the most accurate concept of the position and tasks of a player playing as a "false 9". However, the common point of players in this position is not that the player is assigned the entire responsibility of scoring goals. Sometimes, the supporting role for teammates is pushed more.
In the past, there have been many stars who have played this way. Although not a center forward, the goalscoring and playmaking roles have always been placed in parallel. The most prominent is the contemporary legend Lionel Messi. Since being coached by Pep Guardiola, the Argentine superstar has moved from the wing to deeper in the center. Initially, El Pulga only played on the edge of the penalty area but later became Barcelona's main striker.
Kai Havertz is only similar to Leo Messi in that he is left-footed, all other skills are far behind. However, Mikel Arteta cannot compare in that way to lower Havertz's role in this position. In the context of the team being devastated before the North London Derby, how to use "false 9" Kai Havertz is an issue that this young coach is studying very carefully.
Although not a striker "hanging in a hammock" in the opponent's penalty area, Havertz has been outstanding since the beginning of the season. The German star has scored 2 goals in 3 matches and is gradually playing more consistently in this role. However, with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino unable to play for various reasons, Havertz could once again be pulled back to play as he did at Leverkusen.
Letting Kai Havertz play as a "number 8" is not a bad idea because this position still allows the German star to close in on the opponent's penalty area and develop his ability to sneak behind to approach the goal. Last season, in the 0-2 loss to Aston Villa, despite Arsenal's overall performance being quite poor, Havertz played this role very successfully and this is a good suggestion for Arteta.
This is the time for Kai Havertz to figure out which position he can play best in. The 25-year-old's left foot reminds Premier League fans of Robin van Persie - a former "Gunners". When he was at his peak, the Dutch star played as a "number 10" but later decided to learn more skills to become one of the best strikers in Premier League history. Havertz also needs to calculate like that to focus on developing the best skill, instead of taking on every position like he does now.
In fact, Kai Havertz is not the type of player who is playing at his best. Julian Alvarez at Man City before is also an example. There was a match where he was placed by Pep Guardiola as the highest striker, but when Kevin De Bruyne was injured, the Argentine star was pulled quite far from the opponent's goal. Or like Cody Gakpo under Jurgen Klopp, the Dutch striker can play as a "number 8" and take on the task of constantly rushing into the penalty area to find scoring opportunities.
However, with Alvarez having left Man City and Gakpo not being arranged by Arne Slot to play in the old way at Liverpool, Havertz is almost the only "false 9" left in the Premier League. This weekend, when Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka or Raheem Sterling cannot play as a center forward, Kai Havertz can be counted on. However, looking down at the midfield, if the trio of Partey - Jorginho - Zinchenko are on the field, Arsenal will most likely not be able to withstand Tottenham's constant pressing.
Therefore, in this weekend's North London Derby, Havertz will probably play both as a striker and a midfielder. Once again, Mikel Arteta will have to rely on Havertz's "incomprehensible" flexibility to overcome the storm called Spurs. In the previous match, The Gunners lost points regrettably against Brighton, if they continue to make mistakes, they could lose to Man City in the championship race right from the first rounds.
