Joao Felix defends Chelsea star Kai Havertz for his profligacy in front of the goal
Kai Havertz has been harshly criticised for his dismal goal-scoring performance this season but Chelsea teammate Joao Felix has defended the German’s lacklustre goal-scoring form and feels he will bounce back.
In front of goals, the German has remained impotent, which has also limited Chelsea’s chances of scoring goals in the games.
Graham Potter has replaced Havertz in the centre of the forward line because he no longer has as much faith in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But the 23-year-old has only registered five goals in 23 Premier League games, so the results have not been ideal.
Even though Chelsea won the game 1-0 against Leeds United, the former Bayern Leverkusen striker missed a 1v1 against Leeds, which exacerbated the criticism of him. The Blues, who scored five goals in 12 games in 2023 and are in desperate need of a reliable number nine this summer.
Speaking to the media (h/t Football.London), prior to Borussia Dortmund’s first-leg Champions League match Havertz’s bad performance was justified by Felix, who said:
“He’s an amazing player. Everyone knows what he has done for the club. We are the same age, so I already knew him a long time ago. We have a good relationship on the field and off it. It’s football.
Sometimes you are on a streak of scoring in every game. Every time you don’t, you just have to keep working. He is a really good guy. He never stops working. He is always searching for ways to be better and score more. Tomorrow he will score.”
Havertz may not have had the traits of a striker who can be present in the appropriate places, make in-behind runs, or be decisive because he had been playing out of position, which the German may have found difficult to adjust to.
He is more of an offensive midfielder and performs best when positioned in a front three on the right or centre flank, but he also enjoys the freedom to roam the final third.
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But, since David Datro Fofana has sufficient experience, we are left with no choice but to use Havertz as a striker. And by this summer we should find a reliable number nine next season so that Havertz can play in his ideal position.