Kai Havertz managed to achieve a Premier League first as Arsenal thrashed his former club Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday evening.
Kai Havertz was in fine form as Arsenal put Chelsea to the sword at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were able to extend their lead at the top of the table with this drubbing of their capital city rivals.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now piled the pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool, who must now maintain their pace in the title race in order to keep up with the North London club.
Arsenal made a strong statement with this win, and the result will have given the Gunners a huge confidence boost at a crucial point in the campaign.
A number of Arteta’s players impressed against the Blues. Martin Odegaard mesmerised with his creative play, whilst Ben White delighted Arsenal fans with his unlikely brace. On top of that, Arteta was finally able to see one of his Arsenal tactical visions come to fruition with the inclusion of Thomas Partey alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park.
Kai Havertz shines for Arsenal in 5-0 win v Chelsea
In the meantime, Havertz returned to haunt his former club as he popped up with two second-half goals.
The German was a lethal presence at the top end of the pitch after the break. In the 57th minute, the 24-year-old connected with an Odegaard through-ball, held off an attendant defender and lifted the ball into the back of the net.
With 65th minutes on the clock, he doubled his tally as he manoeuvred into half a yard of space in the penalty area before picking out the bottom corner with a precise finish.
Havertz had been criticised for passing up a shooting opportunity in the first half, but more than made amends after the break.
Kai Havertz achieves Premier League first v Chelsea
Havertz has shone as a striker for Arsenal in recent months, and provided an impressive reminder of how effective he can be when leading the line against the Blues. He has now racked up 11 Premier League goals for the Gunners this season.
He also achieved a Premier League first on Tuesday evening. As reported by Opta, he became the first player to net a Premier League brace against Chelsea having previously represented them in the competition.
The 44-cap Germany international was never able to impress on a consistent basis in his time on the books at Stamford Bridge, but has looked at home at the Emirates Stadium this season, and has now justified the Gunners’ £65 million investment in his services.