One man's loss is another man's gain. This felt like the frontpage headline on Tuesday night as Kai Havertz scored twice to put former employers Chelsea to the sword in Arsenal's emphatic 5-0 victory in a Premier League thriller under the Emirates Stadium floodlights. The German was at the heart of everything that went right for the Gunners on the night, and as he continues to shine in red and white, he insists on repaying Mikel Arteta's faith in him with interest.

Signing for the club in June 2023 on a £65m deal, Havertz's poor form at Chelsea led to a moment of hesitation from Gunners fans, who feared the misfiring German would continue to show signs of Premier League inadaptability in north London. However, as weeks continue to fade into the next, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid has proven he's worth his weight in gold.

Against the club he lost his gleam at, Tuesday night set the perfect stage for Havertz to demonstrate how far he has come since his departure. On that front, things couldn't have gone better for the German who bagged a brace in a 9/10 display.

Having shone so wonderfully against his former team, now feels like a good time to reflect on Havertz of the past and Havertz of the present. With that in mind, his current season has been statistically compared to his best goalscoring season with Chelsea – when he notched eight league goals in the 2021/22 campaign.

Shooting Stats

Havertz improving in goal threat

Scoring 11 Premier League goals this season, Havertz has already smashed his highest tally in England, with his second-best being the eight he scored in Chelsea's 2021/22 campaign. However, while that statistic suggests he is far superior in front of goal in red and white, the 'Per 90' record argues that productivity hasn't been too dissimilar (although it should not be forgotten that he has at times been asked to play in midfield for the Gunners).

Having played four fewer games in the Chelsea season, the 2021/22 statistics still eclipse this campaign for shots per game and shot accuracy. Nevertheless, they're only marginal victories of +0.20 and +0.4 - and while it appears that the German was more involved in attacks at Chelsea - his conversion rate is more distinguished under Arteta this term.

25.58% of Havertz's shots this season have found the back of the net. By contrast, a 19.51% success rate in 2021/22 offers a glimpse into the German's progression from a wasteful attack-thwarter to a more reliable talisman for the Gunners. Ultimately, too, nobody ever remembers who had the most shots in a game; it is more about who scores the goals. And it's safe to say Havertz has been doing that, particularly in recent weeks, having been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 10 appearances.

Further to this, 0.5 goals per game is slightly better than his ratio for the Blues of 0.4. Naturally a playmaker, Havertz has shown signs of improving as a goal-getter this term, even if it's not as steep of a rise as Gunners fans first thought. Nevertheless, it is in his overall playing style that, at Arsenal, Havertz prevails most tangibly.

Team Play Stats

Havertz has transformed into incredible player in all areas of the pitch

As aforementioned, Havertz played a central role in Arsenal's 5-0 Chelsea thrashing. He scored twice in a matter of 10 minutes for the Gunners and could have sealed a hat-trick if he put away one of his two gilt-edged opportunities in the first half. However, it is not just in front of goal that the German proved he is instrumental to Arteta's side's title ambitions.

Playing mostly as a false 9 for his new club, Havertz is delegated the role of a creative spine. His indefatigable pressing from the front, ability to read the opposition's next move, and overall vision for a pass has seen massive furtherance since his days under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter's guidance.

Although he was instructed to drop deeper as a striker for Chelsea, it is his current manager who has unlocked the 25-year-old's untapped potential as an ultimate team player. Statistically, Havertz this term won in all but two of the 10 categories. In the 2023/24 campaign, the German international achieved more ball recoveries, more interceptions, and created the most chances compared to his best Chelsea season, all while having a better success rate in ground duels, aerial duels, dribbles, and passes.

It is his ability to contribute to all phases of play that has been a particular high point of Havertz's latest step in evolution. After the uncertainties of his arrival eight miles north of Stamford Bridge, he has shown a clean pair of heels to his weary past by making up for lost time at the Emirates.

Verdict

The real Kai Havertz belongs to Arsenal

In all, Chelsea's Havertz only betters his current version in four of 16 categories across shooting and team-play statistics. This acts as a touchstone to how far the midfielder/striker has come from his anguished tenure in west London with the Blues.

Although there still appears to be room for improvement in the finishing department, there is no denying that Havertz has developed ostensibly since ditching the blue shirt for the red and white, and it is believed that he is far from his very best still - even after exorcising his demons in the 2023/24 campaign.

With Gunners fans dancing the night away to his Shakira parody less than 24 hours ago, the hope now is that Havertz kicks on and continues to show shades of the wonderkid status he once held at Bayer Leverkusen. Though much older now at 25, nothing seems to be stopping his trailblazing path to new heights as his club's horizon widens and his former club grieve over yet another transfer mistake.