‘Don’t think anyone knows’: Jamie O’Hara believes Arteta keeps playing 24-year-old Arsenal man out of position

Pundit Jamie O’Hara has claimed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta keeps playing Kai Havertz out of position because he doesn’t know what his best role is.

O’Hara was speaking to Gabby Agbonlahor on TalkSPORT after Arsenal defeated Sheffield United 5-0 in the Premier League yesterday.

The star of the show was Eddie Nketiah who grabbed his first league hat-trick for the Gunners.

Fabio Vieira and Takehiro Tomiyasu joined him on the score sheet in a game where Mikel Arteta made several changes to his normal line-up.

Emile Smith Rowe was handed a very rare league start with Jakub Kiwior given the nod alongside William Saliba at the back.

Another player who had been out of the team recently in the league but was in the side yesterday was Kai Havertz.

The 24-year-old was in midfield alongside Smith Rowe and Declan Rice in a game the Gunners completely dominated.

However, Jamie O’Hara doesn’t believe Mikel Arteta knows the best position for Havertz in the team right now.He’s not returning goals and assists although in his deeper role that’s not a great metric to judge him on.

It’s hard to know right now if Arteta is getting the best out of the German international or if he should be playing in a more advanced role.

Havertz position in Arteta’s system questioned

Speaking about the £65m summer signing, Agbonlahor said: “[Kai] Havertz today, he didn’t do much. He’s got to improve.

“He’s not a ten, he’s not a striker.”

O’Hara added: “I don’t think anyone knows. I think people have been trying to figure it out.

“Chelsea fans, they had him there for how many seasons? Three seasons? And they didn’t know what his best position was.

“[Mikel] Arteta seems to think he’s an eight, I don’t think he’s an eight. But, they’re trying to find something where he fits because he has got talent, he has got ability.”

The fact that Arteta might not have figured out the best position for Havertz yet may explain why he’s in and out of the team currently.

The Spaniard hinted he could have started Havertz up front yesterday but will be very glad he ended up going with Nketiah.

His experience in the Champions League played a factor in him joining the club but his place in the side in that competition isn’t guaranteed either.