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As Kai Havertz sprinted away in celebration after scoring against Liverpool on Sunday, the Arsenal forward may not have been aware that he had just etched his name into Premier League history.
In his 172nd appearance in the league, Havertz's close-range finish in Sunday's 1–0 victory was his 46th goal, surpassing Manchester City legend İlkay Gündoğan's mark of 45 to become the highest-scoring German in Premier League history.
Rather than savoring the milestone, Havertz chose to shift the spotlight away from himself and onto his teammate Declan Rice, whose superb assist made the finish a straightforward one for the German.
"I think 90% of the goal belongs to that man," Havertz told Sky Sports following the match. "We all know his right foot. Today he was there, brilliant overlap and perfect cross. For me it was an easy tap-in. As I said, I think that goal definitely belongs to him."
The Highest-Scoring Germans in Premier League History
Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
Kai Havertz | 172 | 46 | 25 |
İlkay Gündoğan | 221 | 45 | 25 |
Pascal Groß | 256 | 34 | 55 |
Mesut Özil | 184 | 33 | 57 |
Jürgen Klinsmann | 56 | 29 | 12 |
Uwe Rösler | 102 | 29 | 7 |
Leroy Sané | 90 | 25 | 30 |
Kevin Schade | 111 | 24 | 8 |
Robert Huth | 322 | 21 | 11 |
Lukas Podolski | 60 | 19 | 12 |
The Enigma of Kai Havertz Continues to Divide Opinion
The immediate reaction to Havertz's new record has been one of bewilderment, with a return of 46 goals in 172 appearances not exactly leaping off the page.
In reality, that debate has followed Havertz ever since he arrived at Chelsea in 2020. No one has ever questioned his ability, but many have wondered what he actually is. Havertz has featured as a winger and throughout midfield but has found his home at striker at both of his London clubs, neither of which originally brought him in to fill that position.
There are plenty of Havertz doubters around, but the reasoning behind his continued selection for England's top club is plain to see this season. He may have only netted four times in 14 appearances across all competitions, but three of those have come against Manchester City, Chelsea and now Liverpool.
Even the previous season, when injuries limited him to just 24 matches and a mere 1,066 minutes of action, Havertz still managed to score against Man City and Chelsea, along with crucial goals in Champions League knockout rounds, including one in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.