(Reuters) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s consistency on Friday ahead of their Premier League match against Southampton and said Kai Havertz has the potential to become a 20-goal-a-season forward.
The London club aim to maintain their unbeaten run when they host Southampton on Saturday, having won all their matches this season except those against Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Promoted Southampton have lost five of their six league games, with their only draw coming against fellow newcomers Ipswich Town.
Arsenal trail second-place Manchester City on goal difference, with both teams on 14 points, one behind league leaders Liverpool.
Arteta’s side enjoyed a 2-0 home win over Paris St Germain in the Champions League, maintaining their unbeaten run across all competitions in this campaign.
“We had a really difficult fixture list after the international break, and on top of that a lot of unpredictable things happened like players not being available but we adapted,” Arteta told reporters.
“For sure, there are aspects that we have to still improve but we are showing a lot of consistency and adaptability in the way that we can play and win games. I think these are all very positive signs but it’s very early in the season still.”
Following goals against Leicester City and PSG, Havertz has scored in each of his last five home matches at home.
“The fact that he’s gone through some difficult moments just made him a better player… He certainly has all the qualities and he certainly has the ambition to (score 20 goals a season),” Arteta said of the German forward.
“In the end, scoring goals sometimes is very small details and a lot of things have to go for you, but he’s got it and his mindset has changed a lot in regards to that. He certainly has ability to do it in my opinion.”
Arteta added that defenders Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu could feature against Southampton, but Oleksandr Zinchenko and captain Martin Odegaard are unlikely to be fit.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who joined Southampton for 25 million pounds ($32.78 million) in the close season, is set to make his return to the Emirates on Saturday.
“The circumstances changed because this is elite sport and that can happen. It was difficult to deal with that situation in a natural way so we decided to part ways,” Arteta said.
“Ramsdale is a player we loved a lot. He really put his fingerprints here at the club. It will be good to see him.”
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(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
