Kai Havertz opened his goal-scoring account for Arsenal by converting a penalty in their Premier League match against Bournemouth.
This marked his first goal of the season for Arsenal, having joined the club from Chelsea in the summer for a reported £65 million.
The penalty opportunity came after Gunners captain Martin Odegaard was fouled in the box by Ryan Christie, and with 53 minutes on the clock, Havertz was entrusted with the penalty kick.
After a dry spell in front of goal, it was a significant moment for the German. He maintained his composure and calmly slotted the ball past Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto.
Havertz’s goal put Arsenal 3-0 ahead, and he was enthusiastically celebrated by his teammates.
🚨| Penalty Goal : Kai Havertz
⚽️| AFC Bournemouth 0 – 3 Arsenal pic.twitter.com/i3ZzdR0DqE— Football Gossips (@FGossips_) September 30, 2023
His goal was greeted by thousands of travelling Arsenal supporters in a heartwarming moment.
Ahead of kick-off, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta backed Havertz to come good, despite a far-from-ideal start to life in North London.
“We’re trying to help him as much as possible,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “We want to give him the tools and minutes to showcase his talent.
“There are parts of his game that he’s doing exceptionally well, but there are also areas that he needs to continue working on.”
When asked if he will play his way into form, Arteta added: “Yes. He needs to play within the team because the amount of time that he’s played with these forward players is three or four times, and we’re going to have to carry on doing that.
“We certainly try to give him as much support and confidence as we possibly can because that’s going to help him for sure.”