Havertz's offside problem: Arsenal star has been caught astray 15 times already this season

There’s being eager to break through on goal — and then there is Kai Havertz.

Aside from squandered chances, the sight of the Arsenal striker being caught offside at some point in a match this season is an expectation.

Havertz has been penalised for offside 15 times in the Premier League this season, which is seven times more than Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin (in 2nd on eight offsides).

Last season, Bukayo Saka was caught offside 14 times in the league. It is not good enough, and an issue which must be rectified.

A wider scoreline, fronted by Havertz taking his chances, would often change the trajectory of Arsenal matches. Certainly, the 1-0 victory against Hull City on Saturday didn’t need to be so tight.

Mikel Arteta, who can often be defensive of scrutinised players, didn’t even try to mask Havertz’s offside problem afterwards.

He said: ‘Yes, it’s something to improve. That's related sometimes to the timing (of the delivery) or really the situation, or the position, where he's lined up and what space he's given. But certainly it's far too many (offsides).

‘I think the sample is quite short to analyse it, but you have a point there. It's a combination. It's all about timing. So there is a signal on the ball, and you need to time it around that.’

A number of deliveries into the final third saw the striker caught out for getting too excited and breaching the backline too early.

The most crucial stray offside against Hull was on the stroke of half-time, Martin Odegaard’s pass aimed in the path of Havertz. As he reached for the ball, Nobel Mendy had grabbed the German’s shirt, tugging him back. A VAR check resulted in referee Farai Hallam announcing that the shirt pull was a foul — but Havertz was offside, meaning no penalty.

It’s a more complex situation, though, than the German simply being too eager in latching onto deliveries.

His team-mates are, on occasion, guilty of not passing to Havertz more sooner. Instead of playing the ball as soon as the opportunity opens up, the delay causes the forward to second-guess himself on when to break ahead.

So the onus is on the Arsenal midfield to time their through balls better, and better understand Havertz’s patterns of play, too. If both elements can click, Havertz and Arsenal’s goal tally will see an uptick.

Otherwise, only the striker’s offside infringement tally will continue to be the beneficiary.

DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

A 1-0 to the Arsenal pattern is already emerging.

Saturday’s victory over Hull was the Gunners’ fifth by such a scoreline across all competitions this season.

The ability to edge matches is a necessary ingredient in a title-winning campaign, particularly in sub-optimal performances.

The Gunners were seriously wasteful in their chances, which better sides will punish. Yet, it’s their ability to carry out wave upon wave of attack, almost expecting the sheer pressure to eventually produce a goal, that is ultimately hard for opponents to resist.

Overall, it’s the north London club’s equal-best start to a league season: 27 points from 10 games, equalling the same tally from their 2022-23 campaign. Their title defence is on the right track — according to the points tallies, anyway.

CREDIT THE HULL GAMEPLAN

The Hull City blueprint is a plan other underdog sides should assess when facing Arsenal.

The so-called ‘park the bus’ defensive set-ups are a commonality at the Emirates, owing to the calibre of players both in Arsenal’s starting XI and on their bench.

If a team survives the initial onslaught by the hour mark, Arteta typically turns to the bench and breaks a game open with a change or three.

Here, Piero Hincapie, Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all came on before 70 minutes, their fresh legs helping breakdown Hull’s stubborn defence.

Still, the visitors’ high backline is a shrewd set-up which did work to great effect - before Odegaard’s strike.

Arsenal expect inferior sides to sit back, soak up the pressure and mount the odd counter-attack.

By pushing defenders higher up the pitch, it forced Arteta to adapt his carefully laid plans and gave his players a different dimension to navigate, slightly throwing them off track. Manager Sergej Jakirovic deserves his credit.

MADUEKE MAKES HIS MARK

The final word must go to Noni Madueke. He’s received his fair share of scrutiny this season, the winger’s end product an area which is continually brought up.

When in full flow, he is so hard to stop because of his quick feet and directness — which is why more is often expected of Madueke. He is some talent.

Eze, on the bench, was called up by Thomas Tuchel for his latest England squad, with Madueke left out.

On the basis of this, and other recent performances, Madueke has been hard done by.

Though, with Saka sidelined, he can use the next two weeks to ready himself for some huge Arsenal games ahead against Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Real Madrid. The opportunity to stake a real claim in Arteta’s side is there for the taking.