Chelsea star Kai Havertz has an element of “arrogance” to his playing style, according to Roy Keane.
Havertz joined Chelsea for an initial fee of £72million from Bayer Leverkusen back in the summer of 2020. He has become a key player under Thomas Tuchel and wrote himself into the club’s history books by scoring the winner in the Champions League final last May.
The 22-year-old forward has contributed 22 goals and 13 assists in 84 appearances for the Blues so far. He had 13 goals and two assists in 38 appearances this season heading into Sunday afternoon’s FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Tuchel chose the German to start up front alongside Timo Werner and Mason Mount, with £97.5m summer signing Romelu Lukaku once again starting a big game on the substitutes’ bench. Former Manchester United midfielder Keane is a fan of Havertz’s, who he believes has an aura about him on the pitch.
"It looks like he's got a bit of arrogance, and he does back it up,” Keane said on ITV ’s coverage of the semi-final at Wembley. "But it took him a while to adapt to the English game. Again, he's a talented boy, a big presence."
Havertz could not inspire Chelsea in the first half of the game, with Palace’s five-man defence completely nullifying their opponents. The young forward’s main contribution to the first 45 minutes was not a good one, having been booked for diving on the edge of the penalty area.
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He received the ball and went to ground while expecting contact which never came from Palace centre-back Marc Guehi – prompting some harsh words from Jamie O’Hara.
“Havertz has dived. It’s a shocking dive as well. There’s absolutely no place for it in the game. He’s got to book him for it,” the former Tottenham midfielder said on Sky Sports News. “The Crystal Palace players are going crazy, because that, for me, is such bad simulation. It’s not what you want to see in the game, especially at the highest level in a big moment.
“It’s actually stupid from him, because his first touch takes him past the defender anyway – he’s in, he can get a shot off, he’s one-on-one with the keeper almost. Shocking from him. I hate to see it in the game. We need to get it out as quick as possible – I would have sent him off!”
