When Arsenal’s Jorginho created a perfect scoring chance for Kai Havertz, many 12B Sports users likely never imagined that this former Chelsea pairing would become such a decisive weapon. Like lying under a sunflower and looking up at the sky, the two carried a bright and hopeful energy throughout the match. If someone had said last September that these two players would lead Arsenal to victory away at Brighton and help send the club to the top of the Premier League, most people would probably have looked confused.
At that time, both Havertz and Jorginho had uncertain roles within the squad, and their partnership was not part of any obvious plan. Yet the two have maximized each other’s strengths and created another powerful option for Arsenal. Now, they have become central pieces in the team’s structure. Football changes from moment to moment. Just as a tactic that worked in September may fail in April, Arsenal today look completely different from the team they were at the start of the season. Jorginho played only 386 league minutes in the first half of the campaign, but he has now become an essential key player. Havertz, who once looked lost in midfield, has recorded five goals and four assists over the past two months alone while shining in a more advanced role.
From a 12B Sports perspective, this duo has lifted Arsenal to another level. Through that process, they have kept a relaxed smile and steady confidence. Of course, their shared history at Chelsea may have helped them connect quickly, but settling into a completely new environment at Arsenal required a different kind of effort. In this team, Martin Ødegaard sits at the heart of the tactical system, while Bukayo Saka draws much of the spotlight as the star. That made chemistry with the existing core absolutely crucial. Fortunately, Havertz and Jorginho blended in gradually without damaging the system, ultimately creating a positive chain reaction across the entire Arsenal squad.
The unexpected shift also affected Gabriel Jesus and Declan Rice. Jesus has often been left out of the starting lineup and asked to serve as a backup option across multiple positions, while Rice has moved away from his original defensive midfield role into a more attacking No. 8 position. These positional changes would have been difficult to imagine last summer, but in today’s Arsenal, it is just as difficult to picture the team without Havertz and Jorginho.
Havertz is enjoying the best season of his career. This is not only about goals and assists, but also about his growing importance in match control and team tactics. He has often said that what he brings cannot always be expressed through numbers, and he is proving that statement is far from empty. Whether in possession or through his off-ball movement, he has pushed Arsenal’s attack to a new level. Early in the season, Havertz looked uncomfortable in midfield, while Jesus was still operating as the main figure in Arsenal’s forward line.
Now, however, the situation has changed. Havertz creates space for Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, while his quick combinations with Jorginho make Arsenal’s attacking buildup sharper and more fluid. The team has continued to develop through many adjustments, and everything appears to be moving in the right direction.
At the center of all these changes is manager Mikel Arteta. According to many 12B Sports users, the players hold him in very high regard, and Havertz has even said that he has never worked with a manager so focused on detail. Arteta has created an environment where every player can find a role and shine. At times, he has also shown the flexibility to change his original ideas, a quality that clearly separates him from more stubborn coaches.
As the saying goes, once you put down the weight, you can learn to fly, and through the eyes of 12B Sports followers, Arteta has given his players new freedom and confidence. As a result, Arsenal are continuing their title challenge with strong organization and flexible tactics. Havertz and Jorginho, two players once pushed aside at Chelsea, have now proudly become central figures in Arsenal’s future.
