After falling short at the final hurdle last season, Arsenal will be looking to go one step further this campaign and lift the Premier League trophy.
The Gunners are currently in third, just two points behind leaders Liverpool after 27 matches, but Mikel Arteta’s team is on fire.
On Monday, Sheffield United were the latest side to suffer a heavy defeat to Arsenal, losing 6-0, and in truth, it could have been double figures.
This weekend, Brentford travel to the Emirates, where they will look to cause an upset, but that most likely won’t be the case if a certain maestro starts for Arsenal, as well as Kai Havertz.
Kai Havertz should keep his place against Brentford
Question marks were raised when Havertz swapped Chelsea for Arsenal in the summer for £67.5m, but he has truly found his feet under the guidance of the Spaniard.
Overall this season, the versatile German has scored seven goals and provided three assists in the Premier League, with only Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka contributing to more goals in the Gunners squad.
The Champions League winner's performance against the Blades was simply prime Havertz, as he picked up a goal and an assist while dominating the back three of Chris Wilder’s team.
However, he offered much more than just goals, completing almost the perfect centre-forward display. The 24-year-old made four key passes and linked up play brilliantly in tight spaces, boasting an impressive 93% pass accuracy.
This showing should ensure he keeps his place in the side today, and so should another ex-Chelsea star.
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Although Arsenal will be in for a much sterner task this evening against Thomas Frank’s side, they should adopt a similar approach to Sheffield United in terms of looking to frustrate the hosts and playing directly into Ivan Toney.
After starting the last two matches and impressing, Jorginho may have cemented his spot in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. The Italian was excellent against the Blades, mopping up with a 100% duels success rate and five recoveries. But it was his role in allowing Declan Rice to play further forward that really made him valuable.
The England midfielder is given the freedom to roam and affect the game in the final third when Jorginho is in the team, which is working brilliantly, as proven by his goal last week and his assist versus Newcastle United in the 4-1 win two weeks ago.
The table below also shows that the former Chelsea player starred against the Magpies, with the boss even labelling him "world class" after his performance against Eddie Howe's team.
Touches
109
Passes completed
92
Chances created
1
Passes into the final third
12
Fouls won
2
As you can see, Jorginho is the definition of a deep-lying playmaker who can control the game through his intelligence and technical class. It’s important that the intensity and tempo on the ball are quick versus a low block, and the number 20 will certainly ensure that.
However, the European Championship winner is also brave in possession, with his first thought being on how he can progress play, as shown by his high passes into the final third.
Between now and the end of the season, Jorginho may just become one of Arteta’s key operators, and he has already shown signs of being undroppable, which is why he must be unleashed alongside Havertz against Brentford.
