Mikel Arteta defended Kai Havertz and his Arsenal players after a futile FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, saying a potential striker signing is “not in my hands”.
Arsenal wasted a number of glaring chances in a 1-1 draw against United on Sunday before crashing out of the third round on penalties, with Havertz being one of the biggest culprits.
The German forward, signed with Chelsea in a contract worth £67.5 million ($85.4 million) in 2023, peeked from inside the six-yard box during the 90 minutes (one of his five attempts on goal) and He was the only player to miss a penalty in the penalty shootout.
Asked what he said to Havertz after the match, Arteta said: “To him and all of them, that I love them, that we all love them individually and as a team they are a joy.
“What this team produces every three days is incredible no matter what. And I'm not going to lose sight of that because of our results or two because we didn't deserve those results.
“What can we do better? Let's try to do it. It's very difficult to do. It's an emotional part. It's something related to trust as well. But it's very difficult to ask more of our players.”
Havertz's display, coupled with an injury to Gabriel Jesus that Arteta described as a “major concern”, saw Arteta questioned again about entering the January transfer market for a striker.
Sources told ESPN's James Olley ahead of the January transfer window that the club would enter the market only if injuries or an unforeseen opportunity presented themselves.
“I understand that [transfer question]but I couldn't love our players more and we focus a lot on the players we have to perform at the highest level,” said Arteta, who said in early January that more injuries could force the club to sign.
“And I focus a lot on what we have to do at the highest level. That's all. The rest is not in our hands, in my hands.”
Arsenal will face north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium.
