Special praise after victory

Havertz becomes “a lucky charm” in the title fight

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta had special praise for Kai Havertz.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Glyn KIRK, Screenshot SID)

Arsenal made a statement in the battle for the English soccer championship on Tuesday evening with a 5:0 victory in the London derby against Chelsea. It is the Gunners' biggest win against their city rivals. Striker Kai Havertz was particularly celebrated, the German scoring two goals against his former club. His coach Mikel Arteta spoke of a "great performance", while the BBC said that "the elegant Havertz is suddenly becoming a lucky charm for Arsenal".

The 24-year-old scored goals number ten and eleven this season. Arsenal had shelled out an estimated 75 million euros for the attacker, but the transfer was viewed critically by Arsenal fans as Havertz had had a difficult time at Chelsea last season. In the meantime, the club's fans have taken the German international to their hearts. "60 million pounds down the drain - Kai Havertz scores again" could be heard at the Emirates Stadium, meaning: "60 million pounds down the drain - Kai Havertz scores again."

"He deserves it. He was outstanding right from the start. You only realize how good he is when you play with him," enthused Arsenal team-mate Ben White, who also scored twice against Chelsea. And the Guardian wrote that "he is one of the big positives in this Arsenal season".

Small advantage for Manchester City
The win put Arsenal under pressure in the title race. The Gunners increased their lead over rivals Liverpool and Manchester City to three and four points respectively. On Wednesday, Liverpool can follow suit in the city duel at Everton, while defending champions Man City are in action at Brighton & Hove Albion a day later. City are even one game behind and therefore still have a slight advantage. "We know what the win means to the fans. But now we have to wait and see," said Arteta with an eye on the competition.

Pochettino: "When we have bad days, we're really bad"
The mood at ninth-placed Chelsea is completely different. Coach Mauricio Pochettino was frustrated after the rejection. "When we have bad days, we're really bad," said the Argentine. "It's true that we are disappointed with our performance." The defeat was a bitter setback in the battle for a European Cup starting place.