MIKEL ARTETA has bizarrely compared Kai Havertz’s struggles to how he met his wife.
The manager spoke to Sky Sports after Arsenal’s dramatic 3-1 win over Manchester United.
GettyMikel Arteta believes it will take time for Kai Havertz to perform at his best[/caption]
PAHavertz missed a huge chance to score his first Arsenal goal[/caption]
Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus got on the scoresheet for the Gunners as Havertz missed a glorious chance to ind the back of the net when the game was goalless.
It fell kindly for the German inside the box with him just ten yards out, but he ended up barely making contact with the ball as he kicked the air.
Fans were left fuming with some dubbing him “useless” while others feared he will soon damage Arteta’s reputation if he continues to play him.
Havertz, who was signed from Chelsea for £65m in the summer, is yet to score or register an assist for his new club.
But Arteta is not concerned by Havertz’s underwhelming performances, insisting he needs time to settle into life at Arsenal.
The boss explained his patience with a strange analogy about how he begun dating his wife Lorena Bernal.
Arteta said: “I said to him yesterday, things are hard in the beginning.
“When I met my wife, in the beginning it was hard to conquer her and I had to try and keep messaging.
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“In the end, she said yes, she wanted to be together and it was beautiful.
“If it is a yes on the first day, it is not that great.
“I think the crowd was really good with him today.”
Asked how he managed to win over his wife, Arteta responded: “Being persistent and determined.”
Havertz didn’t just fluff his opportunity to score, he also thought he had won his side a penalty, only for VAR to overturn the decision.
He also got subbed off for Fabio Vieira pre-comeback after 77 minutes.
SplashMikel Arteta is married to Lorena Bernal and they have three children[/caption]
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