"He must be in the mix now" - Chris Sutton believes 'valuable' Arsenal star deserves to be a part of the Premier League team of the season

Chris Sutton has lavished praise on Arsenal star Kai Havertz for his impact on the club this season. The pundit insists that the German forward deserves a spot in the Premier League Team of the Season.

The Gunners secured Havertz's services from Chelsea last summer for a reported £65 million. The Germany international initially struggled to deliver for the north Londoners and received a lot of criticism.

After hitting his stride in December, Havertz has displayed some great form for Arsenal this year. He now has 13 goals and six assists in 48 games across competitions to his name. The versatile forward has registered 13 goal contributions in the Premier League since February and has played a key role in Mikel Arteta's title push.

Havertz recently scored a goal and set up Bukayo Saka's strike in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend (Sunday, April 28). Sutton believes the 24-year-old attacker has proven himself in Arteta's side and should be considered for the Premier League's team of the season.

He said on the It's All Kicking Off! podcast (as quoted by TBR Football):

“I mean, Havertz, he must be in the mix now. If you were to pick a first-XI Premier League team, Havertz must be in the mix to get into that now. He has been such a valuable player.”

The Gunners will next face Bournemouth at the Emirates on Saturday, May 4.

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Emmanuel Petit explains why he's 'not a big fan' of Arsenal star Kai Havertz

While Sutton praised Kai Havertz, Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit has admitted he's not a big fan of the player. The Frenchman insists that Havertz lacks the necessary physical strength to lead the front line for the Gunners.

Petit said on Premier League Productions (as quoted by GOAL):

"He has adapted well, but I am not a big fan of the player. He isn’t that strong and when you are playing up front for a team like Arsenal. First and foremost, you have to be strong and you have to be clever. He’s a very good player with the feet."

He added:

"Football is a game, whenever you score, you are the hero and when you don’t score, then you are the villain. If he doesn’t score and Arsenal ends up losing, then the fans won’t be happy about it. But if he manages to score a goal and get a win for his team, as he is doing at the end of the season for his team, then he will be the hero."

Havertz has played as an attacking midfielder and as a striker for the Gunners this season. The German has scored six goals in 32 games playing as a midfielder.

However, he seems to have offered more in attack when deployed as a striker. The former Chelsea star has scored seven goals and provided six assists in 15 games playing as a center-forward.