"New Ozil, without the talent" - Pundit calls out Arsenal star, urges Mikel Arteta to 'stop messing around'

Sports presenter Richard Keys has hit out at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for his use of Kai Havertz, labeling the German as the "new Ozil without talent".

Havertz has faced strong criticism following his lackluster performance against Fulham at the Emirates on Saturday (August 26) in the Premier League. The 24-year-old played 56 minutes as Arsenal drew 2-2.

He missed one big chance, created two chances, made five recoveries and won none of his two tackles.

A few pundits called Arteta out for altering his team's set-up against Fulham, in a bit to accommodate Havertz. The tactical approach somewhat backfired, as the hosts managed to pick up just a point from the game.

Keys is the latest person to question Arteta's tactics against Fulham. He went on to hit out on the Gunners boss for defending Havertz's poor performance against Fulham.

Referencing Arteta's post-match press conference with beIN SPORTS, Keys said via Metro:

"He got in great areas but the ball didn’t arrive… so did I yesterday and the ball didn’t arrive, so I was about as much use as this individual. No goals, no assists in three games, but he got into some great areas."

He continued:

"I didn’t think I’d find myself quoting Piers Morgan in this programme ever, but I’m going to. Piers is right. [Arteta is being] too clever. Get back to a back four with all the things that made them strong last season and stop messing around."

Keys compared Havertz to former Gunners midfielder Ozil, saying:

"Now don’t jump down my throat when I say this, let me finish the statement: Havertz is the new Ozil… without the talent.And the reason I say that is because both are enigmas. They didn’t know what to do with Ozil so they sold him! And now they’ve gone and bought Havertz."

He added:

"I’m talking about under Arteta. Arteta couldn’t handle him. He’s like Guardiola, neither of them can handle big players with big personalities."

Ozil registered 44 goals and 79 assists in 254 games in his seven-and-a-half-year spell with Arsenal before being unceremoniously phased out of the team. He moved to Fenerbahce in 2021.

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How has Kai Havertz perfomed for Arsenal this season?

The German international is yet to find his feet at the Emirates since making a big-money move from Chelsea to Arsenal this summer.

The Gunners splashed a whooping £65 million to land the services of Havertz, making him one of the club's most expensive signings. Havertz, however, has yet to register a goal or assist for Arsenal in his first four games across competitions.

His last appearance against Fulham did raise a lot of reactions as he was heavily criticized by both fans and pundits for his lackluster performance. Havertz, will, however, have the opportunity to redeem himself when Arsenal host Manchester United next on September 2.