Why does Havertz's movement specifically help Arsenal's right side?

By drifting into right channels or dropping between the lines he pulls defenders away, creating space for Ben White overlaps and Saka’s runs, producing overloads and clearer chances from the right flank.

Does Havertz’s style create defensive problems for Arsenal?

Yes — his roaming leaves vacuums that require cover from Declan Rice and the centre-backs, but Arsenal’s structure and disciplined pivots have largely neutralized that risk while boosting attacking output.

When Havertz Moves, Arsenal’s Right Becomes a Weapon

Kai Havertz’s arrival at Arsenal didn’t just add a forward — it rewired the right flank. He is no orthodox winger; his movement — drifting from half-spaces into the right channel or dropping between the lines — consistently forces opponents to choose which problem to mark and which to concede. The result is space and time for the overlap and the cut-back.

Tactically, Havertz drags central defenders or a holding midfielder out of position, creating the overload Ben White and Bukayo Saka exploit. His comfort carrying the ball into the final third and playing low-percentage, high-reward passes makes Arsenal’s right side unpredictable but lethal, turning simple overlaps into genuine goal threats. That unpredictability also helps Martin Ødegaard find diagonal passes that stitch attacks across the pitch.

Opponents struggle to assign a single defender to him without leaving a pocket unguarded, which births 2v1s and isolated full-backs who must choose between stopping the cross or the cut-back. There is a defensive cost — Havertz’s vagabonding demands discipline from Declan Rice and William Saliba to cover the vacated zones — but Arsenal’s structure has absorbed it, turning the risk into an attacking advantage. The net effect: more clear chances created from the right and forced errors from teams trying to corral him.

The Guru’s verdict: keep him there. Arteta should lean into Havertz’s right-sided freedom, protect the resulting gaps with a sharper pivot and keep Ben White overlapping aggressively; that combination will decide big games this season. I predict Havertz will be the decisive nuance in Arsenal’s title push — not always flashy, but the mechanism that breaks defensive locks when it matters most.