Arsenal duo Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz set an unwanted Premier League record during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Gunners closed in on what would have been an epic win against Manchester City but were denied at the death by John Stones’ equalizer.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for the home side in the 9th minute, slotting home Savinho’s pinpoint pass.
Thirteen minutes later, Arsenal clawed their charges into the game. A new signing from Bologna, Riccardo Calafiori, scored from outside the box to bring it to a 1-1 draw.
Gabriel Magalhaes completed the first-half comeback, nodding home Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner to put Arsenal in front.
The first half ended 2-1 with the Londoners leading. However, it was all Manchester City affair in the second half after Arsenal got depleted to 10 men with Leandro Trossard’s red card.
The Mikel Arteta side adopted a backs-to-the-wall approach as they reel against City’s mounting pressure.
Overall, it was a strong performance by the Gunners who nearly came out with a miraculous victory. However, Kai Havertz and Jurrien fell off badly in the game.
The pair couldn’t match the tempo and level of proceedings and struggled with missed and forlorn passes.
Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber set unwanted Premier League record in the match
Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber came out with the poorest performance for Arsenal in the match. According to OptaJoe, the pair could not complete a single pass in the game. They became the first outfield Premier League footballers not to complete a single pass after 90 minutes of action since the 2003/04 session.
A breakdown of the two players’ performances shows that Kai Havertz attempted five passes in the match but couldn’t complete any. Timber tried it six times and failed as much.
Why Kai Havertz and Timber fell off badly against Man City
While the import of the above statistics suggests a sub-par delivery by the two players, there are some facts to be noted.
Arsenal had a fair share of the ball against Man City at the start of the game. However, they were still lacking in building up play and creating chances. Unceasing Manchester City pressure forced the team back to the defence for most of the game.
The Gunners’ less clinical showing got worse after Leandro Trossard’s red card. Since they were down to 10 men, the team committed almost all players to the low block. The shrinking playing space due to mounting City pressure definitely forced Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to fall off the rating with poor performances.
Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber Arsenal performances
Timber missed a huge part of the 2023-24 season due to injury. He made only two appearances for the club. However, the former Ajax defender is set to play a key role in the Arsenal squad this season. He has started all five Premier League matches and is top on Mikel Arteta’s defence options.
Kai Havertz has been an internal part of the Arsenal setup since last season. He made 37 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals with 7 assists. This season, he has gotten off the mark with five goal contributions, comprising two goals with three assists in his five Premier League starts.
The pair are expected to play crucial roles as Arsenal set out to challenge for the Premier League title again.
