"He is struggling with that" - Mario Melechiot claims Arsenal star believes fans don't like him

Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot believes Arsenal summer signing Kai Havertz is struggling with the suggestion that fans at the Emirates do not like him.

Havertz struggled during his final season at Chelsea, scoring just nine goals in 47 appearances as a forward. Many Arsenal fans weren't thrilled when Mikel Arteta opted to sign him this summer for £65 million.

The Germany international had a slow start to his Gunners tenure as a central midfielder, looking short of confidence in many fixtures. He went nine appearances without registering a goal contribution.

However, Havertz scored his first goal for the club during their 4-0 win against Bournemouth on September 30. Martin Odegaard selflessly gave his penalty to the 24-year-old, enabling the former to open his account.

Liverpool icon Stevie Nicol slammed the Gunners for giving the spot-kick to Havertz, branding them 'unprofessional' as the game wasn't over by then (via ESPN). But Melchiot had his own take on the situation. He said (via HITC):

“I understand what Stevie (Nicol) is saying ‘the game is not done because it’s 2-0. But I think the bigger picture is very important. The fans don’t like Havertz. He is struggling with that. So, the moment he picks up the ball, then he has a lot of pressure."

He added:

“Giving him the ball, it could be the feeling of ‘let me get this guy feeling better because eventually the bigger picture is more important’. That would be the only reason for me to give him the ball.

“But, on the other side, I want to win the game. This (penalty) record. I didn’t even know he had that record. I have seen him taking penalties.”

Havertz does have a stellar penalty record, having now scored 17 of his 18 spot-kicks. He will be aiming to make the most of his newfound momentum in the coming weeks.

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