Teamwork makes the dream work

Mikel Arteta on Kai Havertz after Man United loss: ‘I like him’

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Mikel Arteta defended Kai Havertz and his Arsenal gamers after a wasteful FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, and mentioned a possible striker signing is “not in my palms.”

Arsenal spurned a sequence of obtrusive possibilities in a 1-1 draw towards United on Sunday earlier than crashing out of the third spherical on penalties, with Havertz one of many greatest culprits.

The Germany ahead, signed in a deal price as much as £67.5 million ($85.4m) from Chelsea in 2023, poked over from contained in the six-yard field through the 90 minutes — one among his 5 makes an attempt on purpose — and was the one participant to overlook a penalty within the shootout.

Requested what he mentioned to Havertz after the sport, Arteta mentioned: “To him and to all of them, that I like them, that all of us love them individually and as a crew they’re a pleasure.

“What this crew produces each three days is unbelievable no matter what occurs. And I am not going to lose sight of that due to our outcomes or for 2 as a result of we did not deserve these outcomes.

“What can we do higher, let’s attempt to do it. It’s extremely troublesome to attain. It is an emotional half. It is one thing associated to confidence as properly. But it surely’s very troublesome to ask one thing else from our gamers.”

Havertz’s show, coupled with an harm to Gabriel Jesus that Arteta described as a “huge fear,” noticed Arteta questioned once more about coming into the January switch marketplace for a striker.

Sources informed ESPN’s James Olley previous to the January switch window that the membership would enter the market provided that accidents or an unexpected alternative offered itself.

“I perceive that [transfer question], however I can not love our gamers extra and we very a lot give attention to the gamers we’ve to carry out on the highest stage,” mentioned Arteta, who mentioned earlier in January that extra accidents might power the membership into signings.

“And I focus very a lot on those that we’ve to carry out on the highest stage. That is it. The remainder just isn’t in our palms, in my palms.”

Arsenal tackle north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur subsequent within the Premier League, on Wednesday on the Emirates Stadium.