Kai Havertz showed Mikel Arteta exactly what Arsenal have been missing during Sunday afternoon's victory against Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round
13:00, 12 Jan 2026
Kai Havertz of Arsenal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Portsmouth and Arsenal on January 11, 2026 in Portsmouth, England
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Kai Havertz showed Arsenal what they've been missing out on(Image: Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
There were three moments in particular during Arsenal's 4-1 win over Portsmouth which proved exactly why Kai Havertz should start ahead of Viktor Gyokeres. The former Chelsea forward marked his return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a promising cameo at Fratton Park on Sunday afternoon.
Havertz, who suffered a knee injury on the opening day of the season, replaced Gabriel Jesus during the second half, and he was given a warm reception from the thousands of fans who travelled down from north London.
The Germany international didn't take long to lift supporters from their seats, creating an excellent chance for Noni Madueke. Just moments after stepping on the field, he peeled off his marker to combine with Jurrien Timber and his former Blues teammate.
Havertz turned into the space he created for himself and stroked the ball behind the opposition. Madueke latched onto the pass, but he couldn't beat Josef Bursik, striking the side-netting.
The German later demonstrated the gulf in class between himself and Gyokeres. Havertz dropped short, again, dragging his marker out of the opposition backline, to play a one-two with Eberechi Eze and switch the play.
Then, in the final minutes, the 26-year-old displayed the movement inside the box that the Gunners have missed. As Martin Odegaard approached the edge of the box, Havertz bent his run to deceive the centre-half and darted behind the backline.
Kai Havertz made his return for Arsenal as Gabriel Martinelli scored a hat-trick against Portsmouth
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Kai Havertz made his return for Arsenal as Gabriel Martinelli scored a hat-trick against Portsmouth(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
The Arsenal captain overhit the pass, but the former Chelsea ace recycled possession with a back-heel. Although Havertz only featured for 20 minutes or so, he showed glimpses of quality in general play that Gyokeres has struggled to produce.
After the game, the German reflected on his return to action. Speaking to club media, Havertz said: "It’s a special feeling, it’s amazing for myself. I'm just happy to be back with the boys, and I hope I can help them as much as possible now.
"I think the way the boys have played the last couple of months, it was so nice even to watch from the outside, even though it's always very hard to be in a situation like this. But just to watch them was amazing, and I'm very happy to be with them now."
Kai Havertz before an Arsenal game
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Kai Havertz before an Arsenal game(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, in the post-match press conference, Arteta commented on Havertz's performance. The Spaniard said: "We had some really positive things today, obviously winning the match and being in the next round - Kai after so many months and all the effort that he's put in to be back fit and looking like he's done."
On dominating the tie despite making 10 changes to the side, Arteta said: "When we make that many changes there is an element of cohesion that is not going to be as perfect as we want.
"We started the game exactly how we didn't want to, giving them momentum and an early goal and hope, and then we had to fight it back, and credit to them because they made it difficult for us especially in the early stages of the game.
"The more we started to do the simple thing right, and be a little more dominant, then the quality took over.
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