Mikel Arteta has backed Kai Havertz to win over the fans and come good at Arsenal after the summer signing from Chelsea endured a tepid start to his career at the Emirates.
Havertz arrived for £65million in June and has started all three of the team’s Premier League games as part of a midfield three this season.
He was withdrawn after 56 minutes of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham having struggled to help Arsenal back into a match in which they trailed to Andreas Pereira’s first-minute goal.
He had one glorious chance to level early in the first half when he got his head to Bukayo Saka’s clever flick back across goal but badly miscued his effort.
And there was audible discontent from sections of the home support in certain moments when the Germany international was in possession.
His struggles were thrown into stark relief by the impact of the player who replaced him, Fabio Vieira, who won a penalty from which Saka equalised in the 70th minute and then set up fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah to fire Arsenal into the lead moments later.
Arteta insists he has been pleased with Havertz’s contributions so far and said he remains confident he will settle in north London.
“I saw an action when he played it backwards and he could have turned,” said the manager. “But that’s more I think the demands of everybody, to play forward and to impact the game in the final third, because we had the urgency to win it.
“Yes, I think (he will win the fans over). I think he’s done already really good things today. It was tough for him in certain moments, he got in great areas again and the ball didn’t arrive.
“He’s had a lot of situations, he should have scored already a lot of goals this season, and that’s the thing that is missing there.”
The introduction of Vieira and Nketiah in the second half had a transformative effect on Arsenal after a first half in which they dominated play but rarely extended Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Vieira in particular succeeded in galvanising the team in midfield after the ineffectual Havertz had departed, playing a decisive role in the goals that looked to have won it for the hosts before Joao Palhinha’s late strike for 10-man Fulham.
But Arteta reserved special praise for Nketiah, a surprise omission from the starting line-up after performing well during Monday’s win against Crystal Palace, winning the penalty from which Martin Odegaard secured a 1-0 victory.
“(Nketiah) looks a real threat at the moment,” said Arteta. “He’s in a good moment, I think he’s full of confidence. I saw when he came on in the second half the fire in his eyes, and he’s got an eye for goal. The way he finished the action, it was top.
“It’s difficult to leave (any) player out. When I see the bench there are players that still haven’t played. But we’ve (played once a week (so far). In two weeks, that’s going to be a completely different scenario and we’re prepared for that.”
Simeone insists Atletico 'cannot stop pushing' after narrow Mallorca win
Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid "cannot stop pushing" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification after a narrow 1-0 victory over Mallorca.
Los Rojiblancos tightened their grip on fourth place in LaLiga, with Rodrigo Riquelme's fine individual effort in the fifth minute enough to secure back-to-back wins.
With four games remaining, Simeone's side moved onto 67 points, six clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who they beat 3-1 last weekend.
The Atleti boss was thrilled by his players' performance levels, but has urged them not to rest on their laurels.
"The team interpreted the plan very well," he said. "The commitment was incredible from [Angel] Correa to [Jan] Oblak to play an intelligent game from a defensive point of view.
"After the goal, we controlled the game. We defended as a team and did a great job. We need to continue improving, and we can't stop pushing until the season is over."
Echoing his manager's thoughts, defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus+: "It was very important to win. We wanted to win and stay six points ahead. We have to keep it up.
"After Riquelme scored a fantastic goal, we managed to stay well-organised to secure the result."
'It hurts to lose' - Inzaghi apologises after Sassuolo defeat
Simone Inzaghi admits "it hurts to lose" following Inter's surprise 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Sassuolo.
The newly crowned Scudetto winners suffered only their second loss of the season in Serie A, as Armand Lauriente's first-half goal was enough to give the 19th-place hosts victory at Mapei Stadium.
Sassuolo, who boosted their survival hopes, subsequently completed the league double over the Nerazzurri, having also prevailed 2-1 at San Siro in September.
Meanwhile, Inter were beaten by a team in the bottom two for the first time since November 2014, with Inzaghi urging his players not to be distracted by their title triumph.
"We started sluggish and didn’t have the right approach to the game," he told Sky Sports Italia. "I'm sorry for the defeat, but credit must be given to Sassuolo for a performance of great effort and sacrifice.
"It's right to enjoy [our Scudetto victory], but there are still three games to go and we have to focus. It hurts to lose, and it should hurt."
After guiding Inter to their 20th Serie A crown, Inzaghi is hopeful he can keep the majority of his squad intact ahead of next season.
However, the Nerazzurri boss did emphasise the club's need to strengthen before launching their Scudetto defence.
"I already told the club that I want to go into next season with all the players I had this term, not losing a single one," he said. "Considering all the games we need to play and the length of the season, we do need a bigger squad."
Inter Miami 6-2 New York Red Bulls: Messi makes more MLS history as Suarez scores hat-trick
Lionel Messi had a hand in all six goals while Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Inter Miami overcame the New York Red Bulls 6-2 at Chase Stadium.
The Eastern Conference leaders were on a three-match winning streak in MLS, but fell behind to Dante Vanzeir's opener in the 30th minute.
However, the hosts turned the match on its head after the break, with Messi assisting a brace for half-time substitute Matias Rojas either side of getting on the scoresheet himself.
Suarez then took centre stage with a hat-trick inside 13 minutes - all assisted by his former Barcelona team-mate - while Emil Forsberg's stoppage-time penalty was a mere consolation for the visitors, who are now without a win in four.
Data debrief
Messi broke two more MLS records following yet another inspirational display for the Herons.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's six goal contributions and five assists were both the most recorded by a player in a single game.
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