Arteta backs Havertz to break Arsenal goalscoring duck

Mikel Arteta is confident summer signing Kai Havertz will soon start delivering goals for Arsenal.

Havertz has yet to score in four outings for the Gunners since arriving from Chelsea for a reported £65million in June.

The German forward's latest blank came in the 2-2 home draw to Fulham on Saturday, as Joao Palhinha struck an 87th-minute equaliser for the 10-man visitors.

As Havertz's woes in front of goal continued, Arteta said: "I think he's done already really good things.

"Today, it was tough in certain moments. He got in great areas and the ball didn't arrive. 

"In a lot of situations, he should have scored a lot of goals already this season.

"That's the thing that is missing there.

"I saw an action when he played backwards and he could have turned.

"That's more I think the demands of everybody to play forward and to impact the game in the final third because we had the urgency to win."

Arsenal fell behind after 57 seconds of the contest at the Emirates to Andreas Pereira's early goal.

But two second-half efforts within three minutes from Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah looked to have delivered a comeback win for the hosts.

Despite Calvin Bassey's red card seven minutes from time, the Cottagers found a late leveller, much to Arteta's frustration.

The Basque coach added: "We should have scored five, six, seven [goals].

"If I compare the game this season to last season, we were 10 times better than last season. At least 10.

"We conceded two very, very poor goals. That's the difference. 

"In the Premier League, when you give something else you're going to get punished."

The Gunners next host Manchester United on September 3 before the first international break of the 2023-24 campaign.