On the eve of Arsenal's upcoming home match against Leicester City in the 6th round of the Premier League, German striker Havertz spoke exclusively to Sky Sports, sharing his experiences of growing up at Arsenal over the past year, his relationship with his teammates and coaches, as well as his outlook on the upcoming match.
Talking about his transformation a year ago, Havertz was emotional: "About a year ago at this time, Ödgö chose to trust me on a penalty opportunity and I changed completely after that. Arsenal is home for me and I love every day here. In the face of external doubts, I always believe in my own ability, and the support of the coach and teammates makes me more determined. I have grown a lot this year, both on a personal and professional level."
Havertz specifically cited head coach Arteta's influence on him, "Coach Arteta has made me more confident and happy. His attention to detail has helped me improve a lot. His door is always open for us and he gives the most sincere advice and help to whoever needs to talk to him."
Regarding Arteta's best quality as a coach, Havertz believes it is competitiveness: "No matter what kind of opponents we face, Coach Arteta requires us to give our best and pursue perfection. This spirit of competitiveness also infects every one of our players, allowing us to stay focused and hustle on the court."
Speaking about Ödgö's absence, Havertz said, "Ödgö is our captain and his leadership is irreplaceable. But he's still with us every day now, despite his injury, to provide moral support to the team. It's up to each of us to step up in his absence and make sure the team is able to move forward."
Havertz welcomed the addition of new teammate Sterling: "Sterling is a top player and his arrival will undoubtedly strengthen us. We were good friends when we were at Chelsea and I'm glad he's joining Arsenal, I'm sure he'll integrate into the team quickly and help us."
Talking about the club's values of "progress", "passion" and "winning mentality", Havertz believes that these qualities are well reflected in himself: "I'm hungry to win, and I'm hungry to win for the team. My past experiences have made me appreciate the opportunities I have now even more, and I will do my best to contribute to the team."
Finally, Havertz looked ahead to the match against Leicester City: "We always aim to take three points. Our strengths are ball control and teamwork. Although there will be challenges and difficulties at times, we will stick to the game and try to show what a strong team should look like. Saturday's game is an important opportunity for us and we will do our best to win."
