Kai Havertz: Arsenal star proves to be a big-game player with another goal against Manchester City
By Luke Oluoch, August 17, 2026Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 victory against English rivals Manchester City in Sunday’s FA Community Shield on August 16, 2026, served as yet another reminder of Kai Havertz’s growing importance in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
The German was once again on the scoresheet, nodding home a brilliant header to put Arsenal 2-0 up before halftime in the FA Community Shield. Latching onto a precise header back across the face of goal from summer arrival Christos Tzolis, Havertz capped off a seamless attacking move to double the Gunners’ lead.
While Mikel Arteta’s decision to start the German over the reliable Viktor Gyökeres might have raised eyebrows before kickoff, Havertz promptly reminded everyone of his repertoire.
Thorn in City’s flesh
He showed up when it mattered most, displaying his unique ability to win long balls, bring teammates into play, and consistently pose a massive goal threat in high-stakes encounters.
With that strike, Havertz cemented his status as a persistent thorn in Manchester City’s side. He has now recorded seven goal involvements (four goals, three assists) against the club, more than against any other opponent in his career.
His recent form underscores that clutch influence, with five goals and three assists across his last 11 appearances in all competitions.
Havertz’s scoring streak
His big-game reputation has been on full display throughout 2026. On May 18, Havertz netted the decisive match-winner in a 1-0 victory over Burnley at the Emirates Stadium, securing vital late-season points.
Prior to that, on April 19, he affirmed his big-game credentials by scoring in a high-stakes clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, despite the match ultimately ending in a 2-1 defeat following Erling Haaland’s 65th-minute winner.
Havertz has been equally indispensable on the European stage. On April 7, he scored the crucial lone goal in a 1-0 away victory against Sporting CP in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
A month earlier, on March 11, 2026, he came off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw against his former club, Bayer Leverkusen, in the Champions League Round of 16.
Gunners secured progression, and Havertz once again scored the club’s consolation goal in the final in Budapest, Hungary, against the eventual winners, PSG
Meanwhile, the German also scored the only goal of the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, leading Chelsea to a 1–0 victory over Manchester City at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. The strike was the attacker’s first-ever UEFA Champions League goal and proved to be the match-winner that secured Chelsea’s second Champions League title in club history
Answering critics?
The occasion presented a fitting occasion for Arsenal fans to get back on the criticism around the attacker, with the famous lyrics “60 million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again“ about the German forward proving his early critics wrong.
The song, sung in the catchy rhythm of Shakira’s 2010 World Cup hit, “Waka Waka,” is a sarcastic reaction to critics who questioned the player’s astonishing fee when he joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer of 2023.