Xhaka tells Havertz how to win Arsenal fans round after frank admission
Granit Xhaka has backed Kai Havertz to make his critics "eat their words" following his underwhelming start to life at Arsenal.
The Germany international, 24, joined the Gunners in a £65million deal from Chelsea in the summer and has been utilised by Mikel Arteta as a direct replacement for Xhaka, who played as a No.8 last term before his switch to Bayer Leverkusen.
Havertz endured a fairly frustrating start to the season and took seven games to break his goalscoring duck in the Premier League. He has also been the subject of criticism from fans and pundits alike, but Xhaka believes Havertz will deliver the goods for an Arsenal side who look well-placed to mount another title charge.
Speaking to The Athletic, Xhaka said: “I know what it’s like for Kai, when people on the outside are a little bit nervous and the fans get restless. He just needs to stay calm. It’s a new position for him and it takes time to fully understand Mikel’s philosophy. But he’s getting better all the time and his confidence is coming back now. Everyone knows his potential but having the confidence of your club, your manager and your team-mates is everything. You always need that backing.”
He added: “Arsenal supporters sometimes can take a bit of persuading to change their minds. But at the end, I won them around. I hope for Kai that he will do the same, and that the critics will eat their words.”
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Despite his slow start to life at the Emirates, Havertz's form has picked up in recent weeks and he's has now scored three goals in his last five league matches after notching in the 2-0 win over Brighton on Sunday afternoon.
Join the debate! What have you made of Havertz so far this season? Let us know here.
Granit Xhaka has backed Kai Havertz to be a success at Arsenal despite his poor start to the season (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)In an interview with Sky Germany, Havertz admitted that his early season form wasn't good enough but pledged to keep giving his all in a bid to win fans around.
He said: "Every footballer probably feels more comfortable on the pitch when everyone is praising him, everyone is screaming his name and everyone thinks he's great. Of course I also think that this is easier. But I now know that this is not reality. That you're the hero one weekend and the idiot the next - I think we know that enough by now."
He continued: "Of course it wasn't my best time, I'll be honest and I can get a lot more out of myself. Of course, my self-confidence suffered a bit from time to time. Nevertheless, I believe that I am now so strong that I can work my way out of such depths.
"You can't please everyone anyway. Sometimes they like you, sometimes they don't like you - and I accept that. As long as the people around me are happy with me, that's enough for me."
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