Kai Havertz

Result and referee aside, it was great to see just how much of a lead-by-example performance Kai put in when we were down to ten.

You think back to this time last year, the Emirates wasn’t a fun place for him. Hooked early after a horror show after Fulham, a couple of big chances missed against United – the crowd were on his back very early on and it didn’t look good.

But now, not only is he scoring and assisting at a rate any striker would be happy with, he’s also turned that early-Emirates discontent around, and put on one of his best leadership displays against Brighton. Down to 10, and yet he’d drop into midfield out of possession and then make early runs forward to drag us as far up the pitch as possible. That one vs one he made all by himself by bullying van Hecke, and the play and cross he put in for Saka were top quality stuff that we wouldn’t see from Havertz at the Emirates a year ago.

But he’s made it his home for good, and you can only be proud of him. 9 home matches since late Feb, 7 goals, 3 assists. Proper numbers.

Raheem Sterling

And now we’ve got another player with Chelsea links in Sterling. I understand any reservations on him, but I personally think we could be looking back on this deal come the season’s end with a lot of satisfaction. In a stable team with a good attack structure I definitely see him returning with good numbers. Maybe not to the levels he was reaching at City, but I’d fancy the environment we have here to help him flourish much more than he did at the Chavs.

Whats more is the lack of financial commitment we’ve put into this deal. Chelsea paying the bulk of the wages, no loan fee, and no obligation to buy at the end of the loan. Seems perfect to me. We either give a player that has quality and hunger to prove himself a great environment and he becomes a good valuable member of the squad, or we decide one season is enough, have no hands tied to Sterling and go for a younger, long-term winger signing when the loan ends.

Angriest footballing moment?

Anyway, with the international break starting (yawn) and that Declan Rice decision still fresh in our mind, I’m curious. What is the most angry or up in arms you’ve ever been with a decision a referee has made or a refereeing performance in general?

There’s a few contenders frustratingly, but you’ve got to go some way to ever top the 50th match at OT in ’04. Reyes getting booted up and down the touchline, more than one straight-red United foul waved away, and then that Rooney dive for the cherry on the… well, pizza, I guess…

Let’s just hope those lot don’t get away with 50 Romero fouls before he actually get punished in a couple weeks time, hey?

Nick

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