Mikel Arteta has just done something at Arsenal that’s seen him vindicated after initial criticism

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has worked wonders since taking the reins at the Emirates Stadium, even if certain things he didn’t weren’t universally appreciated right at the start.

For instance, freezing out and subsequently offloading the likes of Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved controversial decisions at the time.

Then you have several signings Arsenal made that split the fanbase to begin with, but eventually ended up becoming fan favourites.

Aaron Ramsdale is a perfect example of this. When he joined the Gunners, there was some criticism as he had suffered back-to-back top-flight relegations at Bournemouth and Sheffield United.

However, it didn’t take long for him to dethrone Bernd Leno and become first-choice up until this season, winning plaudits aplenty for his efforts in between the Arsenal sticks.

This season, we’re seeing something similar with Kai Havertz. It has taken him a while to find his feet at Arsenal, but now he’s settled in the team and firing on all cylinders.

Kai Havertz: From ‘worst signing’ of the summer to key contributor in Arsenal title tilt

When the Gunners signed Havertz in the recent summer transfer window, the 24-year-old was lacking on confidence. But now, the £65million man is well and truly flying.

On Monday night, the Germany international scored his eighth goal of the season and also provided an assist as Arsenal ran out 6-0 winners at Sheffield United, earning plaudits aplenty.

Goal.com gave him a 9 out of 10 rating and wrote: “His goal was taken well and the player once devoid of confidence has now scored in three successive Premier League games. Set up White for his goal too.”

As per Sofascore, Havertz clocked up some impressive statistics. This includes four key passes, two shots on target, 93.2 percent pass accuracy, and two ground duels won.

Back in September, The Athletic shared a post on X claiming that, according to a cross-section of agents involved in some of the biggest transfer deals of the summer, Havertz was the worst signing.

That post is looking silly now. Havertz has silenced his doubters, while Arteta will once again be feeling vindicated after another call he has made is now reaping dividends.