Kai Havertz has given Mikel Arteta an immediate Arsenal selection problem after scoring against Manchester City while £63million striker Viktor Gyokeres watched from the bench.
Arteta made one of his most interesting calls of the Community Shield by trusting Havertz to lead the line in Arsenal’s first competitive fixture of 2026/27.
The decision paid off.
Havertz scored Arsenal’s second goal in the emphatic 3-0 victory in Cardiff, converting after excellent work from Christos Tzolis as the Premier League champions overwhelmed Manchester City. Reuters confirmed Havertz was among the scorers as Arsenal lifted the Community Shield.
Gyokeres, meanwhile, had to wait until the latter stages for his opportunity.
That makes Arteta’s decision for Friday’s Premier League opener considerably more interesting.
Kai Havertz gives Arsenal familiar tactical advantage
There was nothing particularly surprising about how Havertz helped Arsenal.
The Germany international gives Arteta qualities Gyokeres does not naturally replicate.
He can drop away from the centre-backs, compete for direct passes, connect midfield with attack and create space for Arsenal’s wide players to move inside.
ReadArsenal made the same argument before last season’s Champions League final, when Havertz’s ability to provide Arsenal with greater control made him an attractive option for Arteta in a major game.
Sunday strengthened that argument.
Tzolis and Noni Madueke operated around Havertz, while Martin Odegaard consistently found pockets between City’s midfield and defence.
Havertz did not need to dominate the ball himself. His movement helped make Arsenal’s attacking structure function.
And then he scored.
What does this mean for Viktor Gyokeres?
Gyokeres should not suddenly be written off.
The Sweden international scored 21 goals during Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign and offers Arteta something different: direct running, penalty-box presence and a willingness to constantly attack space behind the opposition defence.
ReadArsenal previously examined the different qualities offered by Havertz and Gyokeres, with the tactical argument often depending on what Arsenal need from a particular opponent.
But Sunday introduced an important new element.
Arteta was no longer choosing between the pair hypothetically.
With both available, he selected Havertz for a competitive match against one of Arsenal’s biggest rivals.
That decision became even harder to reverse once Havertz scored and Arsenal won 3-0.
Arteta now faces huge Arsenal No.9 call
Coventry City present a very different problem from Manchester City.
Arsenal should expect to dominate far more territory in their Premier League opener, and that could make Gyokeres’ penalty-box instincts particularly valuable.
But players who perform tend to keep shirts.
Dropping Havertz immediately after he scored in a trophy-winning performance would send a clear message about where Gyokeres sits in the hierarchy.
Keeping Gyokeres on the bench would send an equally powerful one.
That is the intriguing consequence of Sunday’s victory.
Arsenal entered the Community Shield with two established centre-forwards. They leave Cardiff with Havertz having made the first significant move in the battle to become Arteta’s first-choice No.9.
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