Mikel Arteta admits Kai Havertz needs to be more positive, but he believes the summer signing will soon win the Arsenal fans over.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Harry Wilson of Fulham battles for possession with Kai Havertz of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Fulham FC at Emirates Stadium on August 26, 2023. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Harry Wilson of Fulham battles for possession with Kai Havertz of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Fulham FC at Emirates Stadium on August 26, 2023. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Kai Havertz had made a solid start to life with Arsenal in pre-season and the early games of the new campaign, proving particularly effective in the Community Shield win over Manchester City despite one or two missed chances.

Yet some Arsenal fans already seemed to be growing impatient with the midfielder after his performance against Fulham on Saturday, with the German international not at his best on the day.

A couple of individual moments went viral on social media, including one where Havertz tried to play a ball back to Declan Rice instead of turning into space.

Mikel Arteta admitted that was the kind of moment Havertz could look to improve on to keep the fans happy.

“I saw an action when he played backwards and he could have turned,” Arteta agreed. “That’s more I think the demands of everybody to play forward and to impact the game in the final third because we have the urgency to win it.”

Arsenal's German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz warms up before the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Fulham at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 26, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz warms up before the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Fulham at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 26, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

But when it comes to winning the supporters over, Arteta insisted he’s confident Havertz will be able to do so.

“Yes, I think so,” Arteta responded to a question about whether Havertz will be able to convince fans whilst playing in midfield.

“And 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, didn’t arrive.

“[In] a lot of situations he should have scored really a lot of goals already this season, and that’s the thing that is missing there.”

Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring a goal during a friendly football match between the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star team and Arsenal FC, at Audi Field in Washington, DC, on July 19, 2023. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring a goal during a friendly football match between the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star team and Arsenal FC, at Audi Field in Washington, DC, on July 19, 2023. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Until Havertz starts getting involved in the goals, there are always going to be doubters in the Arsenal fanbase.

But Arteta is right to highlight that he’s getting in the right areas to score, and perhaps his teammates just need to become more accustomed to finding those runs. Then it’s just a case of Havertz providing the finishes.

It’s still so early for the summer signing right now, you’d like to think he’ll come good before long.