"I haven’t seen anything substantial" - Darren Bent questions quality of £65M Arsenal star after 3-1 West Ham loss

Former Premier League striker Darren Bent questioned Arsenal's decision to sign Kai Havertz after the Gunners' 3-1 loss to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

Mikel Arteta and Co. faced West Ham at the London Stadium on Wednesday (November 1). The Spanish tactician made a host of changes to his starting XI, giving numerous players, including Havertz, a chance to impress.

Unfortunately, Arteta's decision backfired as Arsenal were subjected to a 3-1 loss, losing just their second game of the season across competitions. An own goal by Ben White, and strikes from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen were enough to send the Hammers through to the quarter-finals.

Havertz failed to have much of an impact as he did not complete any of his attempted crosses and did not win any tackles in midfield. Moreover, he lost eight duels, was dribbled past twice, and failed to create a single goal-scoring chance for his teammates.

Bent took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the 24-year-old for his performance (via HITC):

“Fair play to West Ham. Arsenal not at the races at all tonight. I hate singling out one player but I need someone to explain why 65 million was spent on Kai Havertz and what exactly is he bringing to the team? 15 games into the season (and) I haven’t seen anything substantial.”

The Gunners signed Havertz from Chelsea this summer for £65 million. Despite being converted to a central midfielder, the German's struggles have continued as he has mustered just one goal and an assist in 16 appearances across all competitions.

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West Ham United's win against Arsenal: Exploring the stats from Carabao Cup clash

Arsenal's hopes of winning the Carabao Cup were dashed after they were comprehensively beaten 3-1 against West Ham United in the Round of 16. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.

The Gunners dominated possession with 72% of the ball. They also attempted 678 passes, managing a pass completion accuracy of 90%. In contrast, David Moyes' side had 28% possession and attempted 265 passes with an accuracy of 77%.

Arsenal also looked the more threatening team in attack, landing a total of 14 shots, with three being on target. On the other hand, West Ham had five shots but managed to get three of those on target. Despite not having much of the ball, the Hammers took their chances and thoroughly deserved their win.

Mikel Arteta and Co. will look to bounce back against Newcastle United on Saturday, November 4. They currently sit second in the table with 24 points from 10 games and are unbeaten in the league so far.