Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on after the draw vs Wolves (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Arsenal have stuttered recently as they no longer necessarily look like the favourites to win the Premier League title, but could Kai Havertz still save their season?
The Germany international’s absence through injury has surely been one of the major frustrations for Mikel Arteta this season, as he can be so influential when fully fit and confident.
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Not everyone was won over by Havertz when he first joined Arsenal after a slightly underwhelming spell at Chelsea, but by the end of a memorable 2023/24 campaign he very much showed his importance to the side.
Havertz has been limited to just three Premier League appearances so far in 2025/26, but if he can make it back for the title run-in, then perhaps there’s cause for optimism for panicking Gooners.
Kai Havertz’s incredible run that almost delivered Arsenal the title
For all the talk of Arsenal being ‘bottlers’ in the title race, that’s far from what happened when they fought to the very final day of the 2023/24 season.
Ultimately it was a mid-season blip that cost them against an almost-perfect Manchester City side, who just would not stop winning and eventually clinched the title by a mere two points.
Arsenal chased them all the way with a near-perfect run of their own, winning 16, drawing one, and losing one of their last 18 games.
Instrumental to that run was Havertz, who contributed nine goals and six assists in the final 14 fixtures, so averaging more than one goal contribution per game…
?? Kai Havertz scored nine and registered six assists in the last 14 games in the title run-in in 2024. ??
It’s time to run it back. ?? pic.twitter.com/1GAzSYLhoX
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) February 21, 2026
Of course, Arsenal would also benefit from other players getting back to the kind of form they showed then, with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard not playing at their best this term, whereas they were superb week in, week out at the start of 2024.
It’s very clear, though, that in the few games Havertz has played this term, that he’s made players around him look better, and he’s so much more well-rounded than struggling summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.
When will Kai Havertz be back from injury?
The Athletic recently reported that Havertz would be set for a spell on the sidelines, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be out for too much longer.
As reported by the Evening Standard earlier today, Arteta has even suggested the 26-year-old could be in contention for Sunday’s North London Derby against Tottenham.
AFC might do well not to rush Havertz back into the starting XI straight away, but at the same time there’ll be a real desperation to bring him in and see if he can provide Arteta with the key to finally bringing the Premier League trophy back to the club for the first time in 22 years.
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